Digging her new gig: Krysten Anderson follows in dad's tire tracks driving Grave Digger

As the daughter of Dennis Anderson, the creator of iconic Monster Truck Grave Digger in 1979, there was little doubt that Krysten Anderson would become involved in the business at some point. She thought it would more than likely be as a graphic designer, creating the artwork that adorns the trucks.

Becoming a driver was not really an option, but when it was suggested that she consider it, there was only one route for her to take.

"My first truck was Grave Digger," she says.

Krysten Anderson will drive one of the Grave Digger trucks created by her father Saturday in McKenzie Arena. (Photos: Feld Entertainment)

Anderson became the first female to drive one of the most popular trucks on the Monster Jam circuit two years ago at the age of 18. She says the first year was a huge learning curve for her, though not so much in the technicalities of driving such a powerful vehicle, but in dealing with expectations, both internal and external.

"I was a rookie going through the motions of being a rookie," she says. "I am way more relaxed this year and feeling more confident."

She said the key was realizing that fans were more interested in witnessing a memory than in seeing her win.

"They expect to see something crazy. A memory - like if I cartwheel across the arena. Even if I don't win, Grave Digger is still a crowd favorite and it makes me feel good knowing the crowd went home happy."

Because the truck is so popular and fans want and expect to see one at Monster Jam shows such as the one at UTC's McKenzie Arena on Saturday, there are actually eight Grave Diggers that compete on the circuit.

Anderson says her brother, Adam, drives one, and her other brother, Ryan, drives Son of Digger. She adds that most of the other drivers are from her native North Carolina, and that while there are other females who drive Monster Trucks, it wasn't really considered that a woman would drive a Grave Digger until she came along.

"When Monster Truck called and asked me if I would be interested, I said yes and that I couldn't see any other female than me driving one."

Anderson says growing up in the Anderson household always involved "going big and going fast," whether it was racing trikes, bikes, go-carts or big trucks.

"We did a lot of mud-bogging. That is where dad actually started Grave Digger, was with a mud truck. We had all kinds of motor sports. For Christmas, we didn't get Xboxes, we got junk cars and dirt bikes.

"My brothers were more into going out into the yard and jumping and crashing them and then fixing them back up again, but I would drive them."

Trips to the grocery usually were taken "in something big," she says.

Brother Adam even offered to loan her one of his big jacked-up Dodge trucks for her prom, but "we took my Jeep Cherokee because I would have had to drive because my date couldn't have, and that might embarrass him," she recalls with a big laugh.

Anderson says joining the Monster Jam circuit was the best decision she could have made.

"I'm 20 years old and traveling the world and getting paid to do this."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.