The rivalries on Discovery’s Gold Rush run deep, with the fierce competition between the miners evident every season.
Todd Hoffman had a tough, tough time last season, with Parker Schnabel seeming to have bested him at every turn with his behemoth “sluicifer”.
Meanwhile the Viking of the cast, Tony Beets — recently fined for a fire stunt he carried out on the show — was laughing all the way to the bank thanks to royalties and lease profits.
However, now Todd is talking on his socials and promising fans he will have the best season ever. He claims he will mine 5,000 ounces — and is even betting on it!
The entrepreneur is the founder and of 316 Mining, which also sells clothing and merchandise, and now there’s talk on Todd’s official Facebook page of him opening a mining ranch where fans can experience the thrill of finding gold.
Taking his naysayers to task, the devout Christian is confident his faith will help him overcome any mining obstacle.
He wrote: “I laugh when the less intelligent of my followers tries to say I’m not getting gold or making money.
“I created a huge TV hit. I get to mine raw gold with my buddies and son and father. I put gold in my pocket everyday with huge washplants.
“I’m profitable in every aspect of my life but most of all I’m walking in the light of Jesus Christ. I follow the old path my friends. I’m blessed. Haters will never prevail against me.”
The miners are back for Gold Rush Season 8 on October 13, and Todd is confident he will beat longtime rival Parker in a competition to find the most gold — to the tune of a $100,000 wager.
Season 7 saw Todd fall short of his 5,000-oz. goal in Oregon. But he is confident that in Colorado, along with his father, Jack, and 18-year-old son, Hunter, the tides will turn in their favor.
Todd will try to accomplish running three plants at the same time, something no gold miner has done in this series.
Meanwhile, Schnabel, 22, has enjoyed big success on his own, including with Gold Rush spin-off Parker’s Trail earlier this year.
The three-part series saw him take a survival journey along the Yukon Trail. You can read our interview with him about it here.
On the new season, will Parker shed the burden of paying landlord Tony Beets his royalties as he gets his wash plant Big Red up and running?
And will Todd get one up on his rivals? Only time will tell…
Gold Rush’s two-hour season premiere airs Friday, October 13 at 9pm ET with a special live event featuring the mine bosses at 8pm ET, both on Discovery.