Monster Jam a family tradition for Grave Digger driver Krysten Anderson

Monster Jam is a family tradition for Krysten Anderson.

As the only daughter of Dennis Anderson, professional driver and creator of the iconic Grave Digger monster truck, Krysten is following in her father’s footsteps.

The 22-year-old will be behind the wheel of Grave Digger when Monster Jam Triple Threat Series comes to Pittsburgh Feb. 7-9 for four performances at PPG Paints Arena.

Anderson didn’t plan on becoming a monster truck driver like her two older brothers, Adam and Ryan — who also drive Grave Digger trucks on the Monster Jam circuit — until her career plans took a sharp turn a few years back.

“I can draw pretty well, and I originally wanted to do artwork designing trucks,” she says.

She hoped to join the team as an auto body artist until she received a phone call from Monster Jam officials in 2016 after she had graduated from high school in North Carolina.

She wouldn’t say ‘no’

“They told me it was the 35th anniversary of Grave Digger and they never had a female Grave Digger driver,” she says. “They asked if I would like to come out and audition. I never drove in motorsports, but I wasn’t going to say no. Some people wait their entire lives to be in monster trucks.”

She learned the basics of commanding a 12-foot-wide, 12,000-pound vehicle at Monster Jam’s training facility in Illinois and then set out to hone her skills at Monster Jam events when she started competing in 2017.

“I’ve got the hang of it now,” she said. “I’m constantly improving every year, doing more tricks, making higher jumps. We’re always trying to make the trucks stronger, more agile, more elite.”

The Monster Jam Triple Threat Series pits drivers’ skills against one other, competing in trucks, speedsters and ATVs for points in challenging Racing and Freestyle events that test agility, speed and versatility.

Audience participation

Audience members can get in on the action in the freestyle competitions — Two Wheel Skills, Donuts and Freestyle — by judging and scoring the events using their smart phones and a special code at judgeszone.com. Details will be announced at the shows.

The ultimate goal for drivers is to be named Series Champion and earn an invitation to the Monster Jam World Finals in May in Orlando, Fla., to compete for the title of World Champion.

Anderson said she’s looking forward to returning to Pittsburgh to tackle the competition in Monster Jam at PPG Paints Arena, where she first competed when she was starting out in the motorsport.

“That’s where I took my first event championship and also saw my first hockey game,” she says.

Girls’ role model

One of her favorite parts of the job is the attention she gets from young girls attending Monster Jam with their families.

“Some of the girls make signs for me and they’ll paint their faces purple and green,” the colors of her Grave Digger truck, she says. “I get lots of little girls looking up to me. Grave Digger is the only truck in 35 years that never had a female in it before me. I can appeal to the female audience.”

A female driver hasn’t yet won a Series Championship, but Krysten certainly has her eyes on the prize.

“I don’t come to the shows to lose,” she says.

Her dad, now retired from the Monster Jam circuit, still comes to the shows to see Krysten and her brothers when they’re close to home in North Carolina.

“He tries to keep his distance,” she says with a laugh. “He makes us nervous, but he always watches us on Instagram and Facebook.”