When I first told my ex that I used to go to Monster Jam as a kid, he said he didn’t realize I was an undercover hick. It was a joke, but that’s usually the response I get when I share childhood stories from monster truck races or rodeos. I haven’t been to a Jam in years, but now that my favorite truck Grave Digger is being helmed by a woman for the first time, I have to go back. But before I do, I called Grave Digger driver Krysten Anderson (she/her) to help explain why everyone needs to go to at least 1 Monster Jam… preferably in Daisy Dukes.

At a Monster Jam, there’s lots of beer, obnoxiously loud engines, and so many wheelies. But all that Rust Belt fanfare is what makes the event exhilarating, and Southerners aren’t the only ones convinced. “We still have a lot of blue-collar spectators, but we take Monster Jam all the way to Europe, South America, and Asia,” Krysten says. “I don’t think it matters if you grew up in the sticks or in a studio apartment—once you hear the sound of a blower motor or see the tricks we do, it’s hard to look away.”

Like Krysten says, it’s a lot, so if sensory overload isn’t your thing, this probably isn’t for you. But if supporting women is (which, ofc) give it a shot, because Krysten has been preparing for her time on the track since day 1. Her dad Dennis Anderson created the Grave Digger persona in 1982, so instead of getting Barbies for Christmas, she got things that went “vroom” in the night. “A lot of people think I was the princess of the house, but that is not the case [laughing]. My 3 brothers were rough on me, but I appreciate that now. They thickened my skin  and made me unafraid of men because I had to fight at the dinner table with them all the time.”

Now, Krysten’s fighting for championship titles instead (which she won, BTW!), but the whole surrounded-by-men thing is very much the same. Monster Jams reek of traditional masculinity, but entering that land of American flags and Budweiser has its value. To me, Monster Jam is like the in-person equivalent of watching reality TV.

Sometimes you just need to tune into something ridiculous and turn the volume way up so you can shut your brain way down. Scream at the bikes, cheer your head off when Grave Digger crushes a sedan, and throw on whatever outfit you want because no one is looking at you when 6-ton trucks are smashing into each other.

Cruisin’ for some chaos,
Kennedy Hill