To start any story about the talented Anderson family and their legendary business, the conversation must begin with its visionary creator, Dennis Anderson.

The well-documented Grave Digger tale began in 1982 when Dennis Anderson salvaged a 1951 Ford pickup, junkyard parts, and tractor tires to build himself an off-road racing vehicle.

As Anderson filled the tank of his makeshift truck at a local gas station, a fellow racer mocked its condition, causing Dennis to pledge that his “old piece of junk” would “DIG THEM A GRAVE.” That night he drove like a wild man, won the race and the nickname Grave Digger took a firm hold.

His original truck was built in a dirt-floored workshop on Toll Plaza Road near the NC/VA border. In 1983, he rebuilt his racing vehicle using a 1951-panel van body propelled by even larger tires. His imagination ran wild, and Dennis overbuilt it, later needing to disassemble his shop to remove the vehicle. In 1986 Dennis got his first paid gig and began racing his monster truck full-time.

Krysten, Adam, Weston & Ryan at Monster Jam Awards Banquet

Accommodating a growing business and household, his family moved into their larger vacation home on Seventh Avenue in Kill Devil Hills. Within a few short years, the continuous expansion of their business brought them to purchase the acreage on Highway 158 that houses the current business compound.

In 1998, Anderson decided to sell the Grave Digger team to Pace Motorsports, which Feld Entertainment later acquired. This decision allowed Dennis to relinquish overseeing every aspect of the business, instead focusing solely on his competitive driving career and designing and building state-of-the-art racing vehicles.

Following a serious race injury, Dennis retired on September 18, 2017, Grave Digger’s 35th anniversary. He remains active in the sport, partly providing driving and career counsel to his three sons, Adam, Ryan, and Weston, and his daughter, Krysten. There are currently over 40 Grave Digger vehicles, and all of the Anderson children compete in Monster Jam competitive events.

Dennis Anderson seated with grandsons, Race, Luke and Wade.

ADAM: Age 38, Adam and his wife Brianne, a flight paramedic for Dare County’s MedFlight, have two sons, Wade (age 11) and Luke (age 9). The first motorized vehicle that Adam drove, at the age of three, was a 1985 Honda ATC70 three-wheeler. He spent the next several years tearing up grass on lawn mowers and the sands of Carova Beach in bomber cars. It wasn’t until age 19 that he finally got behind the wheel of his first competitive truck, and it all began with him packing for a weekend and returning three months later!

Adam admits he wasn’t sure that driving for Grave Digger would become his career. “There weren’t driving or training schools when I started. I was nervous I wouldn’t compete successfully, but the only way to find out was to jump in and do it. It took me competing in front of a crowd for the first time to know I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Even though I didn’t fear driving, speaking in front of crowds was intimidating, but now I can easily talk smack in front of 60,000+ people!”

Travel is a large part of a Grave Digger career. In 2023, Adam was on the road for over six months, and he’s scheduled to fly nearly 170,000 miles this year. He’s attended competitions in every state except for Alaska and Hawaii and competed in 28 countries. “I don’t have any favorite states; I only care whether they have large enough stadiums to put on a good show. Australia is my favorite country because it’s super clean and the people are nice. The longest I’ve stayed in Australia was eight straight weeks, and it reminded me of home.”

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
FIRST MAJOR “In 2008 when I was named the World Finals Freestyle Champion, and knowing that I remain the youngest winner at age 22.
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FAVORITE “A tour championship — based on a point system — that proves you’re the best of the best.”

MOST RECENT “A week ago when I was awarded the Spin Master Donut of the Year award!”

Above, top: Adam Anderson with son, Wade, nephew, Race, and son, Luke.

RYAN: At age 34, Ryan is engaged to Chelsea Hietpas, a loan officer for Southern Trust Mortgage. He has a 9-year-old son, Race, from a previous relationship, and a 6-month-old son, Halen (as in Van!), with Chelsea. At age eight, Ryan received his first set of wheels, a Suzuki Samurai, and he put over 20,000 miles on it without ever leaving the Grave Digger compound. “At young ages, we’re all in motorized vehicles, from ATVs to cars and trucks, with free rein to drive around the compound. I drove my first competitive monster truck at age 16, but my full-time racing career didn’t take off until I was 20.”

Ryan had no doubt he would follow in his Dad’s footsteps, “Driving competitively comes naturally to me, so I never thought to do anything else. Dad paved our road in gold in this industry, and I plan to keep that road polished for my sons!”

As best he can, Ryan schedules events so he can return home weekly. “Since I only compete in large stadium events and not smaller arenas, I travel the least of all my siblings. I’ve competed in every state except for Alaska and Hawaii. My favorite state to visit is Florida because it’s a wild place to adventure! I’ve traveled to and competed in the Philippines, Mexico, Panama, and throughout Europe but my favorite place is Australia because the people are nice and the wilderness is so wild!”

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
FIRST MAJOR “In 2014 when I won my first Stadium Freestyle of the Year.”

FAVORITE “In 2011 when I debuted my monster truck, Son-uva Digger, at the World’s Finals. No one knew I was coming out, and I had the run of a lifetime.”

MOST RECENT “Becoming the 2024 Stadium Championship Series West Champion!”

Krysten Anderson, holding the Championship Trophy in Denver, CO.

KRYSTEN: Age 27, Krysten is child-free and met her steady boyfriend, Elvis Lainez, when they both drove for Monster Jam. Krysten’s first motorized vehicle was a green Kawasaki 4-wheeler she received on her fifth birthday. “My brothers and I were always trail riding on 4-wheelers and side-by-side multi-seat ATVs. They continuously pushed me to jump bigger and faster. They also made me do mock interviews whenever I won! It was all pretend back then, but it prepared me for what would come.”

Krysten, an artist, initially planned to attend college for graphic design, with her sights set on designing truck paint schemes and Grave Digger tees. “I stepped away from driving with my brothers for several years because I was more interested in being a teen girl, but Monster Jam called my name after high school. I was 18 the first time I got strapped into a monster truck, and I started driving for Monster Jam in 2017 at 19. It’s been a very fulfilling career the past eight years, and I have no regrets!”

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
FIRST MAJOR SHATTERING GLASS CEILINGS – “My first major achievement was in 2022 when I was crowned the first Female Point Series Champion in monster truck history. A point series runs for about 18 consecutive weeks, and drivers compete weekly to accumulate competition points. At year’s end, the person with the most points is crowned and gets an automatic bid to the World Finals. In over 30 years of Monster Jam, a female driver had never won the series, and to date, I am the first and only woman to win. Week after week, I drove against male competitors and beat them all. To be the first and only female to pilot a Grave Digger vehicle is an achievement, and to make history twice is indescribable.”

FAVORITE “Having female supporters choose me as their fan favorite! I represent all women while on the track behind the wheel, and I love seeing their reactions as I accept these trophies. I want women to understand that we can come into a male-controlled environment and dominate! Women can be bold, brave, and powerful; we CAN balance grit with grace!”

MOMS: Dennis’s mentoring role is apparent, yet their mothers have always played essential roles. Adam and Ryan accredit their mom, Julie Anderson, for making them into the men they are today… both ON the track in business and OFF the track with their fans. A Paramedic Captain with Dare County Emergency Medical Services, Julie not only allowed the boys to do roughneck stunts, she often participated! As an integral part of the business’s infancy, Julie understands the unique challenges of the industry and provides solid guidance.

For the past 20 years, Krysten and Weston’s stepmom, Carissa Anderson, has been a steadfast female role model who raised them to follow their passions. Krysten says her stepmom is a shy person who prefers to stay out of the limelight, “She manages all of the businesses at the Anderson compound and keeps track of my Dad, which is a full-time job!” Weston credits Carissa with supporting every aspect of his career, “She directly helped me build my ‘Bog Hog’ brand by traveling with me to nationwide competitions while marketing and selling my merchandise.”

GRANDKIDS: Both Adam and Ryan agree that their children can decide whether to pursue a Grave Digger driving career, yet it feels inevitable that they’ll find their way into the fold. Adam states, “My oldest, Wade is obsessed with trucks! We provide all the kids with access to toys, and we play with them when we’re home. In their minds, we’re just having fun, and they don’t even realize it’s a part of their training.”

Weston Anderson at a 2023 competition in Ontario, Canada; Weston Anderson being interviewed at a 2023 event in Macon, GA.

Setting the framework, Ryan brings his son, Race, to shows. “He’s in the back – the inner working of events – making friends with the Monster Jam drivers and crew so he feels like part of the team. Race already talks about which truck he wants to drive!” As for his 6-month-old son, Halen – well, he accompanied his Dad as we toured the Grave Digger compound – insert bottle as needed. As Ryan drove us over the OBX Monster Truck’s track, Halen sat on his Dad’s lap, seemingly unfazed by the engine noises, rises, and dips. Nearing the end of this interview, I realized that these kids are literally “bottle-fed” the lifestyle.

FAMILY: When asked about the glue that holds their blended family together, Adam reasons that distance plays a large part. “We travel the nation and the world on mostly different time schedules, so we’re lucky if we spend weekends or even holidays together as a family. Therefore, we all love our time together, not working!” “Fortunately, we were raised to understand that our fans are also family, so we feel that connection on the road.” Ryan adds, “We all share a natural urge to make our Dad feel proud and to carry on the Grave Digger legacy.”

Krysten continues, “We live a chaotic, unconventional life together, and it’s created a strong bond between us. We’re proud of our Dad and what he’s created against all odds. We are proud to be Andersons, and we’re proud of what Grave Digger means to so many people around the world.”

Weston sums it up perfectly, “Our father dedicated 36 years of his life to this truck, and he unintentionally created a strong legacy for all of us to live off of and to keep going for many generations. We will not let him or each other down.”

All photos courtesy of the Anderson family.

6-month-old, Halen Anderson in his customized Grave Digger wagon.

Author: Julie Short