Son-uva Digger was debuted in 2011 with Ryan Anderson as the driver, who is the son of Dennis Anderson. The name and body style of Son-uva Digger mimics that of Grave Digger, Ryan Anderson’s father’s truck. The monster truck, which was supposed to be Adam Anderson’s new truck was originally designed to be a mud truck.
Adam would later go on to drive the Taz Monster Truck. Eventually ending up as the next driver for Grave Digger. As fate would have it, Ryan got injured before he could debut the Son-uva Digger in 2011. He had to wait until the World 12 before he could debut the truck.
Ryan had his first competitive participation with the truck in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The first stadium showcase was in July of the same year in Baltimore, Maryland.
History Of Grave Diggers
In order to understand the back story of the Son-uva Digger, it is important to know about the history of Grave Digger in general. The concept was conceived by pioneer Dennis Anderson in 1982 and was originally meant to be a mud bogger. A mud bogger is a type of off-road vehicle that is popular in Canada and the United States. The first-ever Mud Digger was a modified 1952 Ford pickup truck. Grave Digging came about almost by mistake.
There was a particular show where the monster truck did not show up. Anderson volunteered to crush the cars because he already had a large vehicle on the truck. The Grave Digger was an instant success and Dennis Anderson had to abandon mud bogging for the more illustrious career of monstrous trucks.
Son-uva Digger Fun Facts
According to Ryan Anderson, the Son-uva Digger was a spinoff of the Grave Digger. In an interview with ABC, Ryan wanted to leave his own legacy in the Grave Diggers history just like his father and the older siblings before him. The Son-uva was created to go after a younger crowd that might not have heard of Grave Digger. Those who have been following Grave Diggers can introduce their kids to the new truck.
The Body Is From a Willy Jeep: According to Ryan Anderson, the grandad had a Willy Jeep as his hot rod when his dad was young. This inspired his father to start Grave Digger because he saw the grandad as this superhuman in a Jeep Willy.
Tombstone Paint Scheme: The Son-uva Digger has a tombstone that shows all the competitors beaten and bashed up in the junkyard. In the background. You can see the mud truck which is the first ever Grave Digger. The Grave Diggers that are still in good shape are also featured in the paint scheme.
Son-uva Digger Is Shorter: According to Ryan, the Son-uva seats are lower than some of the Gold Diggers that are still operational. It is about 10 feet tall and 13 feet wide.
1500 HP– The Son-uva Digger boasts of 1500 HP which is 10 times more than that of a normal car. To put it into perspective, the Son-uva Digger has 300 more Horse Power than the Bugatti Veyron which is among the top three fastest cars in the word. What makes it even crazier is the Gold Digger weighs 10,000 pounds which is an insane combination.
According to Ryan, his 2011 debut with the Son-uva Digger was the best run of his life up to this moment. He could not compete for the whole first season because of a hand injury.
Famous for the Viral Backflip: Ryan had just come out of injury and just wanted to show his new truck. There was no competition whatsoever and no pressure to impress. He performed a successful backflip with the Son-uva Digger that instantly went viral. The landing was perfect with the technical aspect taken care of. It has been difficult to replicate the same blackflip with the same level of precision.
Special Technique for Handling the Tires: The Son-uva Digger tires weigh 750 pounds apiece and it takes special skills to handle them. There is jack that is specifically made for monster trucks and is hydraulically controlled and has the potential to even lift a house.
Planetary Gears for Speed: The planetary gears are located at the wheels. They are the reason why the Gold Digger is able to go so fast despite the weight. It gives powers to the wheels and the truck would be breaking more parts and it wouldn’t be nearly as durable if it were not for the gears.
Fully Tuned Shock Absorbers: The Son-uva Digger’s shock absorbers are taken apart and individually tuned to Ryan’s specification. It has 26 inches of travel in the front and 30 inches of travel in the back. An average car has around 5 inches of travel when it comes to suspension. The Grave Digger can take the big jumps and bumps because of the suspension.
Safer than Normal Car: The Grave Digger was designed to be crashed. According to Ryan, everything in the truck is made to withstand obstacles. There is a fire suppression system on the driver’s seat and there is also a crew that is ready in case of a fire emergency. The seats are tailored for the driver’s body. The roll cage can withstand multiple crashes.
Who Is Ryan Anderson?
Ryan Anderson is the son of the Dennis Anderson who pioneered the Grave Digger phenomenon. In an interview with Monster Jam, Ryan cited his dad as being his role model and influencer. His favorite moment both on and off the racetrack was when he debuted the Son-uva Digger at Monster Jam World Finals in 2011. He describes his driving style as “technically out of control”, which explains the crazy backflip he did with the 10,000-pound truck in 2011. Ryan is all about making the fans happy. His best moments are when he gets a standing ovation for his performances and the dangerous stunts.
Ryan has competed against his brothers and father which makes sense since it runs deep in the family. He is always about the tricks. In an interview with ABC, Ryan confessed that one of fondest memories happened in California years after his first competitive win in Oakland. He wanted to show people how much he had improved as a driver since that win and he was not an amateur anymore. He came out and did the usual crazy freestyle people are used to seeing him perform.
The stunt ended when he crashed on top of a pile of Grave Diggers. It was the season ender and he got to win the point series at the show. There was a time Ryan won 6 consecutive stadium freestyles in a row with the Son-uva Digger. In an interview with Monster Jam, his aim was not to win but to introduce people his Grave Digger. Ryan’s first ever World Championship win came in 2017 despite being involved in the sport since 2011. This goes to show why endurance and improvement are important in sports.
It could be because he was competing against tough opponents who not only have the talent but the experience of endurance. Ryan won his second World Championship in 2018 at the Monster Jam World Finals 19 with a score of 9.812. He would later perform the only 3rd Barell Roll in the history of Monster Truck in Santa Clara. There you have it, everything you need to know about the Son-uva Digger and its flamboyant driver Ryan Anderson.
