INTERVIEW: Dave Turin gears up for new season of ‘Gold Rush’
Gold Rush is a mainstay reality series for Discovery Channel, and it’s not hard to see why. The show, which begins a new season Friday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m., has all the right elements for engaging television. There’s the dedicated competition among the gold miners. There’s the inherent dangers of the job. There are the many setbacks and oh-so-sweet triumphs. Some people make hundreds of thousands of dollars; others walk away with nothing and the need to reexamine their life.
At the center of the series is Dave Turin, who the network describes as a “red-blooded All-Ameircan go-getter.” That’s a lot of hyphens for one person, but Turin, each and every season, proves to be a fan favorite who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in search for the golden payday.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Turin. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Mining runs in your family. Did you ever consider other careers, or were you set on mining from the start?
I have a civil engineering degree, and right out of college, I went looking for work as a civil. It was in the late ’80s, and the economy was bad and hard to find work. That’s when the rock quarry we had an asphalt plant set up in came up for sale. I told my family I would manage it. That’s how I got my start in mining.
What’s the toughest part of mining?
Being away from home and family. All the easy gold on this planet has been discovered and recovered. The only profitable gold is in harsh, difficult places to live, so that’s where we have to go. And it’s hard on family life.
On the show, there are some big personalities. Is dealing with your fellow miners as challenging as the mining itself?
Yes, it is difficult to deal with people and their attitudes. Sometimes it’s easier to work with heavy equipment; the equipment doesn’t have an attitude, isn’t tired or grumpy. It takes confidence to mine in remote places, so you have to be tough, which can cause problems between miners.
Before you begin a new mining project, what’s going through your mind? Do you have to amp up the energy?
Before the new mining season I’m thinking about logistics, how will we get all of our equipment, people, and fuel to the mine site. It does take a lot of energy, and we have team meetings to get everyone excited about the new mining season. Gold miners are generally very optimistic people. You have to be because there is so many things that go wrong.
Is the world of gold mining as competitive and dangerous as the reality series makes it out to be?
Yes, it’s competitive because all the placer gold miners are trying to find the best ground and lock it up. It is very dangerous. With such large machines and the tremendous amount of pressure, it makes for a stressful workplace. My biggest fear is working around the camera guys. They are all British guys who haven’t been around heavy equipment.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Gold Rush returns to Discovery Channel Friday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. Click here for more information.
