Growing up with a dad who had served in the Navy, Blake Huggins always knew he wanted to spend time in the military. He was drawn to the sharp aesthetic and heroic character of the Marines Corps, and joined just after high school in 2010. He served for four years, spending time in Afghanistan. While on duty he was able to work with the British Air Force and Bahraini Special Forces.

During his service, Blake became close friends with many of his fellow Marines and still keeps in touch with a handful of them. “One of the best things about serving in the Marines is the brotherhood that exists. We truly came to rely on each other as teammates,” he said.

These days you’ll find Blake working hard as the general manager of Mid Atlantic Watersports, a dealership on Lake Anna, Va., where SunChaser pontoons are a popular choice.

“We sell about 30 SunChasers a year as well as a variety of wakeboarding boats,” Blake said. The dealership also has a marina right on the water where they service, detail, and rent boats.

It’s easy to tell customers about the high quality standards of SunChaser, produced by the family-owned company Smokercraft. Blake said, “They take pride in their quality of boats, and if there’s an issue, SunChaser is quick to get it fixed. This makes it great for us in sales.” Many customers are thrilled with SunChaser’s power Bimini top and center ‘toon storage.

With their location in Virginia, Mid Atlantic Watersports has sold to employees at the Pentagon, to district court judges, and to many fellow veterans. “We see a lot of veterans who are drawn to boating. I think it’s because they feel so much freedom being out on the water,” Blake said.

With a house that overlooks the lake that has easy access to the water, Blake enjoys boating with his three young boys who all love to wakeboard and wakesurf. “It’s all about having a good time as a family,” Blake said. “I want to make positive memories with them so that later on down the road, they’ll bring their kids here for the same summer weekends.” But with his oldest just 12 years old, Blake has plenty of time before becoming a grandparent, so for now he gets to enjoy his young family and adventures on the lake right at home.