Thoughts from the Man Cave

Boating (and Living) the “Big Ed” Way by Mike Savicki photography by Jon Beyerle/On Camber Creative

From the gridiron to pit road to the lake, Ed Watkins shifts gears

Ed Watkins Marine is located in Denver.

Ever since Ed Watkins was knee high to a grasshopper there were two things he wanted to do in life, play college football and be on a NASCAR pit crew team. Growing up in Eastern North Carolina meant plenty of outdoor time to pick up sports then, on Sundays after church, it was all about watching the sights and sounds, and soaking in the colors, energy, and excitement of the race.

Let’s start with college football. When you are 6’3”, weigh 250 lbs., and can run the 40 in 4.7 seconds, chances are good that you might fit in well on the football field. Ed bled Pirate Blue and Gold so playing lineman for the Eastern Carolina University Pirates was a dream come true. He couldn’t have envisioned it playing out any differently.

With football eligibility completed and one year of studies to go, Ed began thinking about making the second part of his dream a reality. For months, he would make the four-hour (each way) trip to and from Charlotte, knocking on any and every NASCAR door he could find, until, one afternoon he crossed paths with a guy named Ray Evernham. Ray was looking to build a pit crew team composed of high-level college and pro athletes and saw potential in Ed. Ray asked Ed if he could be at a tryout the next day, so Ed drove four hours home, slept, then came right back. Ed eventually earned a spot as jackman on the legendary Rainbow Warriors team that pitted Jeff Gordon to victory lane for so many years. Over the next ten years he pitted for guys like Kyle Larson and Martin Truex, Jr. before Coach Joe Gibbs grabbed him to be Denny Hamlin’s gasman, a position he still proudly enjoys even in this just-a-bit-different 2020 NASCAR season. he tells me, “I don’t want to be the guy sitting on the porch just rocking. I want to make new memories.”

His love of fishing, hunting and conservation, paired with his forward-facing posture, led him to buy an existing boat dealership on the west side of Lake Norman. In 2017, Ed Watkins Marine was born. Ed calls it his “next chapter, next challenge.” It is already so much more.

On a busy fall Friday, cars heading north and south on Denver’s Hwy 16 blow their horns and Big Ed waves back as walks the outdoor showroom floor explaining the models of bass boats, runabouts, center consoles, and pontoons spread across the property. His team, from service techs and sales reps to office and logistical support staff has doubled in just over two years and, even with the COVID challenges of 2020, the dealership’s energy and enthusiasm is clearly high.

“This place, these people, and what we do are my love,” Big Ed says with a proud smile. “I love that our business is ever changing, and I love that what we get to do gets people on the water - outside - and makes people happy, builds families, and grows a community.”

Community is at the core of everything he does. He invests in first responders by supporting the police, fire, and rescue teams around the lake. High school fishing teams and clubs have Ed to thank as they compete, too.

“The dealership is my bread and butter,” Ed continues, “It is my next chapter, it is what Ed’s day starts with and it is what Ed’s day sets with.”