Pit Master Marty Dunkin was born into the world of "Pork".  As a child Marty spent many a day along-side his Grandfather Millard Powell, or "Daddy Powell" as he was known by most.  Daddy Powell had a slaughterhouse operation specializing in PORK, and Marty loved to watch every part of the process. But Daddy Powell had a passion for eating pork too, and before he was old enough to start school, Marty was helping Daddy Powell make sausage, souse meat, cure hams, and best of all, "Smoke" pork. Marty remembers how his grandad would say, "we eat everything but the "squeal". 

The smell of hickory wood coming from the "Smokehouse" is a memory Marty has never forgotten, and never got far from.  Always the cook, Marty's passion for the smell of a wood fire brought him back to his roots as an adult.  For more than twenty years now Marty has worked to develop recipes that all had their start with the basics he learned from Daddy Powell. 

In 2002 Marty entered his first Kansas City Barbecue Society Contest in his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and while his results were at best, average, he was hooked.  Over the past 6 years Marty has taken his passion for cooking barbecue to a whole new level.  Not only becoming one of the most competitive teams on the circuit, but also designing, developing, and constructing some of the finest cookers found anywhere today.

Marty quickly shares credit for Big River's success with his wife, and only Teammate, Teresa.  While Teresa leaves the cooking to Marty, her expertise in presentation, and simply keeping the Big River Rig ready for business plays an equally crucial role.