Bering Sea Gold

[ WHISTLING "MY DARLING CLEMENTINE" ]

Steve R.: A-ONE, A-TWO,

A-THREE,

A-GO.

GOOD MORNING, VIET-NOME!

IT'S GOLD-MINING TIME!

GET YOUR DREDGES READY.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

SEXY, SEXY GOLD.

GOLD DADDY.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

ROCK-STAR GOLD.

THIS IS

STEVE RIEDEL,

ENCOURAGING YOU TO STAY GOLDEN.

Narrator: NOME, ALASKA.

COME ON, LET'S GO!

I GOT A BADASS BARGE THAT'S READY TO GO MININ'.

Narrator: THE GREAT AMERICAN BOOMTOWN.

YEAH! WE'RE IN THE WATER.

HA-HA!

Narrator: IN THIS REMOTE PORT...

Narrator: THE COMING OF SUMMER MEANS

THE RETURN OF THE ALASKAN GOLD-MINING FLEET.

I LOVE GOLD BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET.

THAT'S THE OLDEST STORY IN THE BOOK --

YOU ALWAYS WANT WHAT YOU CAN'T HAVE.

NOME WAS ESTABLISHED,

ORIGINALLY, AS A MINING TOWN.

THERE'S BEEN A CENTURY OF PEOPLE COMING UP HERE

AND BALANCING THEIR HOPES AND THEIR DREAMS

UPON THAT BEAUTIFUL YELLOW SUBSTANCE.

Narrator: SINCE 1898,

WHEN THREE SWEDISH PROSPECTORS STRUCK GOLD

IN THE WATERS OF ANVIL CREEK,

MINERS HAVE FLOODED IN, HOPING TO STRIKE IT RICH.

OVER A CENTURY LATER, THEY STILL COME IN DROVES,

FOLLOWING THE GOLD

FROM THE CREEKS TO THE BEACHES,

NOW...

WHO'LL START ME OFF? THE BID'S 10 EVEN.

Narrator: TO OFFSHORE MINING CLAIMS

IN CUSTOM-BUILT DREDGES.

MINING FOR GOLD IN NOME IS A GRAND ADVENTURE.

Narrator: EVERY JUNE...

I'M GONNA MAKE SOME DAMN MONEY.

Narrator: MODERN DAY '49ers SPLASH DOWN AND HEAD OUT

TO SEEK THEIR FORTUNES OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE BERING SEA.

I'M GONNA STUFF MY POCKETS FULL OF GOLD THIS YEAR.

Narrator: THIS SUMMER, WHAT WAS ONCE A CLOSELY KEPT SECRET

HAS BECOME THE ONE WORD ON EVERYONE'S MIND.

BACK TO THE TOMCOD.

THAT'S THE ONLY GOOD GOLD AROUND THIS COUNTRY.

Narrator: THE TOMCOD CLAIM,

LOCATED 7 MILES WEST OF THE HARBOR.

THIS 1,000-ACRE AREA IS NOW GROUND ZERO FOR THE GOLD RUSH.

THE TOMCOD LEASE. THERE'S PROBABLY 1, 2,

3, 4, 5,

6, 7, 8,

9, 10,

11 BOATS OUT HERE, I SEE DREDGIN'.

Narrator: WITH MORE DREDGES THAN EVER

HEADED FOR ONE SMALL LEASE

AND THE PRICE OF GOLD PLUNGING TO $1,200 AN OUNCE,

THIS SEASON, THE COMPETITION

WILL BE TOUGHER THAN EVER BEFORE.

LET'S GO GET 'EM. LET'S GO GET THAT GOLD.

Narrator: IN THE SMALL BOAT HARBOR...

HERE WE GO!

THEY GOT THE BOAT IN THE WATER,

NOW, WE JUST GOTTA GET ALL THE DOODADS ON HERE.

Narrator: SUMMER DREDGING'S

UNSTOPPABLE GOLD MACHINE,

THE 80-FOOT, 80-TON

CHRISTINE ROSE.

ALL THE LITTLE, LAST COUPLE THINGS

DONE HERE, AND THEN, WE'RE READY TO GO MININ'.

WE HAVE THE BEST DREDGE OUT THERE.

I JUST LOVE BEIN' A MINER. MY FAMILY'S BEEN MININ'

FOR 25 YEARS AND THAT'S HOW WE MAKE OUR LIVIN', IS GOLD MININ'.

Narrator: FOR SIX SUMMERS...

MR. GOLD SAYS,

"MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!"

Narrator: THE FATHER-SON TEAM

OF STEVE AND SHAWN POMRENKE HAVE DOMINATED THE GOLD COUNT...

I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE

TALKING ABOUT ME TO OTHER PEOPLE.

BECAUSE YOU GIVE IT SO MUCH AMMUNITION!

Narrator: DESPITE THEIR CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIP.

Steve P.: IT'S HARD FOR FATHERS AND SONS TO WORK TOGETHER.

SHAWN REALLY DOES NOT NEED ME ON THE CHRISTINE ROSE ANYMORE.

I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO OFF AND DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.

HE'S ALL TRAINED. HE KNOWS EVERY PIECE OF MACHINERY,

HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS ON THERE.

GOT THE ANCHORS ON, SPUD'S IN,

EVERYTHING'S GETTIN' HOOKED UP.

WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WATER PLUMBING TO DO,

LITTLE BIT OF WELDING.

Narrator: FOR 62-YEAR-OLD STEVE POMRENKE,

THIS SEASON IS ALL ABOUT AN EXIT STRATEGY.

Steve P.: I'M LOOKIN' TO GO INLAND MINING.

THAT'S WHAT I FEEL I'M REALLY GOOD AT

AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY.

I'D LIKE TO HAND THE OCEAN MINING OVER TO HIM

'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO GO INLAND MINING.

SEE IF THE NEW CONTRAPTION'S GONNA WORK OR NOT.

WELL, WE KNOW THE ENGINEER, SO.

IT'LL WORK.

Narrator: PUSHING

FOR A 1,000-OUNCE SUMMER

AND A NEW INLAND MINING VENTURE...

Steve P.: ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO AGAIN.

WATCH IT, WATCH IT, WATCH IT.

Narrator: STEVE HAS ENGINEERED ONE MASSIVE UPGRADE.

HOLY COW!

Narrator: A NEW 5x12-FOOT

WASH PLANT SLUICE BOX.

Steve P.: THIS ONE'S, LIKE, 3 TIMES BIGGER

THAN THE OLD WASH PLANT.

I CAN GO THAT WAY SOME, YET.

MAKIN' HISTORY.

LITTLE MORE!

YEAH!

Narrator: IT'S DESIGNED TO BE THE BIGGEST

THE BARGE COULD POSSIBLY HOLD.

JUST, HOPEFULLY, NO BIGGER.

THEY'RE GONNA HIT.

Steve P.: THEY AIN'T GONNA HIT.

I GUARANTEE YOU.

THEY AIN'T GONNA HIT!

GROWIN' UP WITH STEVE POMRENKE,

LET ME TELL YA, IT WAS HELL.

I THINK DAD GREW UP

WITH HIS DAD NOT ACCEPTING HIM

OR GIVING HIM ANY CREDIT FOR ANYTHING,

BUT DAD AND I ARE ACTUALLY GETTING ALONG

PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL SEE HOW LONG IT LASTS.

WE'RE GOOD, MAN!

YEAH, LOOKS GOOD.

WE'RE GONNA UP OUR PRODUCTION BY 30%

WITH THIS NEW WASH PLANT,

BE ABLE TO RUN 30% MORE DIRT,

HOPEFULLY, GET 30% MORE GOLD, AND THAT SHOULD PUT US

OVER OUR 1,000-OUNCE GOAL FOR THE YEAR.

Narrator: AS FATHER AND SON AIM FOR ANOTHER WINNING SEASON,

THERE'S ONE RACE THEY'VE ALREADY LOST.

7 MILES WEST OF THE HARBOR, ON THE TOMCOD CLAIM,

THE FIRST BIG BARGE TO MAKE IT TO THE GROUNDS...

RAHH!

BIG ROCKS, HARD DIGGIN'.

Narrator: THE CHRISTINE ROSE's WOULD-BE RIVAL,

THE 80-FOOT,

96-TON AU GRABBER.

THAT'S THE PAY LAYER, RIGHT THERE.

THERE SHE BE.

IT'S A GOOD-LOOKING COLOR.

IT'S HARD TO SAY HOW MUCH, EXACTLY, WE'RE GETTING,

BUT, I'M HOPING WE'RE GETTING AT LEAST AN OUNCE AN HOUR,

IF NOT A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO,

JUST GOTTA KEEP AFTER IT. WE GOTTA KEEP THIS THING LOADED.

Narrator: AT THE HELM?

OWNER AND 2nd-YEAR MINER HANK SCHIMSCHAT.

I'VE INVESTED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I HAD.

I TOOK MONEY OUT OF MY RETIREMENT TO DO THIS

AND I NEED GOLD IN THAT HOPPER.

I'VE DONE THE MATH -- IF I CAN KEEP UP

MY OUNCE AN HOUR, I THINK I CAN GET 700 OUNCES.

THAT'S WHAT MY GOAL IS THIS YEAR.

WHOA, BABY!

THAT'S WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

Narrator: AFTER DROPPING NEARLY A MILLION BUCKS

BUILDING HIS OPERATION,

HANK NEEDS HIS SOPHOMORE SEASON TO HIT BIG.

YEAH, THE CHRISTINE ROSE IS NOT HERE YET.

I GOT A LITTLE HEAD START ON 'EM.

I'M HOPIN' I CAN KEEP UP WITH 'EM,

OR EVEN SURPASSIN' 'EM.

I'M NOT MUCH OF A SMACK-TALKER.

IT'S NOT REALLY MY STYLE,

BUT SHAWN CALLS ME THE "ASS" GRABBER,

SO I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING LIKE CHRISTINE "HOS".

CHRISTINE ROSE, CHRISTINE ROSE, THIS IS THE AU GRABBER.

YOU COPY?

GO AHEAD.

HA-HA HA-HA!

NEVER CHEATED LAST YEAR.

YOU GOT YOUR ASS WHIPPED, BUDDY.

I CAN MOVE MORE DIRT THAN SHAWN, I KNOW,

SO, I WANT EVERY PIECE OF GOLD I CAN GET, SO HE DOESN'T GET IT.

Narrator: WITH 42 YEARS BEHIND AN EXCAVATOR,

WORKING CONSTRUCTION,

HANK IS A PRO AT MOVING DIRT.

HOW WE LOOKIN'? LOOKIN' GOOD.

Narrator: BUT GOLD MINING IS ABOUT PAY DIRT.

IS THERE ANY GOLD IN HERE? OH, YEAH.

YEAH, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE GOLD IN HERE.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S JUST PAN IT. PAN IT?

YEAH.

FIND US SOME GOLD!