Over the previous seasons of "Gold Rush," Todd Hoffman and Parker Schnabel developed an ongoing rivalry, which becomes quite heated at times. Todd is determined to bring in more gold than Parker, and before the new mining season even begins, he bets the young miner that he can bring in the most gold. If he doesn't win the payout will be huge, he will owe Parker 100 ounces of gold, which is worth $100,000.

Todd plans to do something no other "Gold Rush" miner has ever attempted

Todd has never been one to back down from a challenge or shy away from taking a risk, and sometimes his bold moves paid off in a big way.

Other times, his risky ventures left him with nothing to show for a season's worth of hard work. Last season was another tough one for Todd, but he's back and more determined than ever to come out on top. Returning to Colorado, he plans to run three gold sluicing plants simultaneously. This is something no one else has ever tried before, running two proved to be difficult enough, and it will be interesting to see how Todd works out the logistics to run all three plants at once. If Todd's ambitious idea proves to be successful, he and his crew may have their best season ever.

Parker Schnabel and Tony Beets have their own ideas on how to pull off a successful gold mining season

As for Parker and his mining crew, they will continue to mine gold in the Klondike.

After he tells them about his wager with Todd, Parker next turns his attention to Tony Beets. Over the last four years, he has leased land from Tony, paying him $2.3 million in royalties. Now Parker is ready to venture out on his own by leasing a plot of virgin ground nearby and getting his washplant Big Red running. Every season Parker and crew successfully bring in huge gold totals, and it will be interesting to see if his gamble to move his mining operation pays off.

Tony Beets, also known as "The Viking," has his own big plans for the new season. With one successful dredge now in operation, he planned to have another one up and running last season, but he was met with obstacles and circumstances that made it impossible. His main goal for the new season is to get the 75-year-old dredge moved, reassembled, and mining for gold as quickly as possible.

He enlists the aid of Sheamus Christie, a well-known mine boss, to help him move the massive machine. Moving a dredge that weighs 500 tons a may prove to be a difficult venture, even for Sheamus.

Before the new season premieres, fans of the show will be treated to a live event that features Parker, Todd, and Tony. During this one-hour special, they will cover a lot of topics and discuss highlights from the new season. They will be answering fan questions as well via real-time phone calls and Facebook questions.

Are you a fan of the show? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions below. The live event will air on Friday, October 13 at 8 p.m. ET, with the two-hour Season 8 premiere of "Gold Rush" airing immediately after on the Discovery Channel.
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