Mining gold is not always the quest of a lone wolf on a mission – in some cases it is a legacy and a family business. Dave Turin is a civil engineer and businessman who comes from a family of successful gold miners, and it wasn’t always clear that Dave would pursue this career as he was a football star during his college days. Dave first rose to fame when he was regularly consulted by the Hoffman family crew during the first season of “Gold Rush”, a Discovery Channel show following the ups and downs of gold mining.
Early Life and Family
Dave Turin was born on 21 April 1959, in Sandy, Oregon USA to Jim Turin – the name of his mother is unknown. Dave is one of six children – three brothers and two sisters – who are mostly involved in the family business. Dave loved the outdoors as a child, and developed hunting and fishing skills. During high school, Dave was not only a good pupil but a star athlete on the football field. This is not necessarily surprising, as his father, Jim was a local teacher and sports coach. Dave continued his football career during college, and even played on the Oregon State team for a time before realizing that his dreams lay elsewhere.
Education
While Dave is considered the most knowledgeable miner on the Hoffman crew, he learned most of his skills at the family quarry. Dave Turin attended Sandy Union High School, and riding on the success of his high school career including playing football, he studied attended both Ohio State University then Portland State University, from where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering.
Career
Family Business
Dave Turin joined his family quarry business immediately after graduating from college. The business had been established in 1969, when the family assisted a local in acquiring stone to pave a driveway.
Originally call Jim Turin & Sons, the company was renamed Mt. Hood Rock Products in 1988, and Dave has been the vice president and co-owner of the company since its inception. Although he mainly focuses on his own work, he remains affiliated with the company and his brothers who run the business.
Discovery Channel
“Gold Rush”
Discovery Channel got wind of the gold fever in 2010, and began filming a series that would follow fledgling mining crews as they ventured out into the world of gold mining. The show premiered on 3 December 2010, and has since evolved into following the activities of experienced crews and their risk-taking exploits.
In the first season, the show focused predominantly on Todd Hoffman and his motley crew. Hoffman knew that he was lacking in experience, and so consulted his friend Dave Turin, who appeared as a consultant regularly throughout the first season, and when Todd offered him a permanent position on the team, he jumped at the opportunity.
Dave Turin aced as the source of wisdom and experience on the crew, playing an integral role in the success of the Dakota Boys, and earned the moniker ‘Dozer Dave’ for his prowess with the bulldozer. After a disastrous mining operation in Guyana prior to the fourth season, Dave switched alliances and began to work with Freddy and Derek Dodge.
Dave eventually negotiated a 50% stake in the business were he to return to the Hoffman team, and for a time all was peaceful.
Did Dave Turin Quit?
During season seven, Dave left the crew for a brief period after another fruitless operation, and returned at the end of the season to work on another operation. The season ended in violence when Dave got into a fistfight with Trey Paulson. Dave explained that being family orientated, the tension in the crew can run high as the season progresses, as they begin to miss home life and their families. Then, the unthinkable happened – Dave Turin handed in his resignation. He Quit.
However, this was not the end of Dave Turin, as he still had big dreams for gold mining, and returned in a show of his own. “Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine” The show documents Dave’s traveling and transformative power, visiting dilapidated mines around the country and assessing the potential of each. He then decides which mines are worth his resources and energy, and resurrects them. He also returned to the main show.
Personal Life
Dave Turin is the type of person who pursues his dreams. This was certainly true when he married Shelly, the girl he had fallen for in high school.
Shelly trained as a nurse, but is currently unemployed, citing spousal support as her source of income. The two have three children, one of whom is Tony Turin, and all are married, and so are now grandparents. Dave is close to his children and grandchildren, and often posts pictures of himself spending quality time with them – whether it be at Disneyland or on fishing trips.
Appearance
Dave Turin is of average stature, but he has an explosive personality. Dave has dark hair which he wears short, but he also sports a beard which is beginning to grey.
Dave has brown eyes and has aged incredibly well. Dave is considerably shorter than average at 4ft 7ins (1.47m) and weighs 115 lbs (52kgs).
Net Worth and Salary
Gold mining can be a lucrative business, and this paired with the hefty salary that Discovery channel stars receive implies that Dave is able to live in relative comfort. This does not mean that he does not have to work hard for is money. Gold mining can be unpredictable, and sinking your cash into the wrong operation could mean the collapse of your finances. Dave Turin is not afraid to take risks but is still very discerning in his ventures, so has a net worth estimated at over $2 million as of mid-2020.
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