Who Is David Kinne? Meet the ‘Survivor’ 48 Contestant Who Dramatically Stood During Tribal Council

David Kinne‘s deep “confidence” combined with his love of adventure sports should suit him well as a contestant on Survivor season 48. In Touch takes a deep dive on David, including his job, how he’s a self-professed adrenaline junkie and more.

Who Is David Kinne?

David is a stunt performer who was born in Long Beach, California. He currently lives in the Orange County suburb of Buena Park, California.

What Is David Kinne’s Job?

While the California native currently works as a stuntman, he is looking to make a career transition after getting his commercial pilot’s license in November 2022.

“That’s where I’m transitioning and stepping away from stunts. I want to slowly accumulate enough wealth so I can start a family. It’s kind of my dream,” David told Parade in a February 4, 2025, interview. “But I do stunts, mainly just high falls, fighting, falling on the ground. A lot of wire work, rope work, things like that,”

“I actually got into stunts pretty late, actually. 2016 or so, so a little less than 10 years. But it’s been a wild ride since then. A lot of bruises, lot of bumps along the way. But I love it,” he said of his profession.

David Kinne Is an Adrenaline Junkie

In addition to flying planes, David loves whitewater rafting after working six summers as a river guide in Colorado. He’s also passionate about snowboarding, off-roading, jet skiing and free diving, as seen in photos on his Instagram page.

“I’ve always kind of been chasing the thrill of random things that some people might, I guess, be a little squeamish of,” he told Parade. It has also helped out in his career, adding about his fearlessness, “I kind of put performance and I guess athletics together, and you get stunts.”

David Kinne Loves to Travel

His Instagram page is filled with photos from adventures in Australia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Switzerland, France and Japan. However, Colorado is one of his favorite places.

“I’ll always consider Colorado to be my second home! Some of the best summers of my life came from working the rivers here,” David captioned one set of photos from the Rocky Mountains.

David Kinne Admits He’s ‘Arrogant’

“I don’t want to say that I’m pretty fearless, because it sounds a little arrogant. But then again, I am a little arrogant,” he told Parade.

“Honestly, some people might say my arrogance or my confidence could get me in trouble. I think it’s an asset. I think it’s better to be too confident than, I guess, humble. Especially in a game like Survivor, or any competitive circumstance,” David admitted.

In a clip from Survivor, he admitted, “I’m not going to lie, my bucket list is winning more Survivor challenges than any other person before.”

David Kinne is Very Confident With His Game Playing Skills

The fitness buff thinks he’s the complete package to go far on Survivor.

“I’m not worried about the food, I’m not worried about the social game, not really worried about the puzzles. I honestly don’t think I have really anything to worry about,” David confessed.

“I think my social skills, my physical skills. Even puzzles, for example, I think I’m fairly good at puzzles as well. And I think pretty much everything that I’ve done so far in my life is gonna give me an advantage in this game. And so therefore, I had to apply, number one, to challenge myself, to see if I’m as good as I actually think I am. And you know what? Maybe it’ll allow me good fortune, and I’ll go home with a million dollars,” he added.

David Kinne Needs to Win ‘Survivor’ to Keep His Girlfriend

During week 3, David revealed to his Civa tribe member Kyle Fraser that he lives in a trailer “in front of my dad’s house.” While the lawyer thought it was “sick,” David responded, “No that’s not sick. Why would I want that? I think that’s pretty pathetic. It’s a very humbling experience.”

David explained how his stunt work doesn’t provide a healthy income and that he needed to win the $1 million Survivor prize money if he wanted to keep his girlfriend. He stated that she wanted to start a family and become a stay-at-home mom, but that he couldn’t afford to support a wife and children on the money he makes.

“I only have a girlfriend if I win a million dollars,” David told his shocked tribe mates.

When Was David Kinne Voted Off ‘Survivor’ 48?

David was blindsided when his five-person strongman alliance turned on him and voted him out in week 9. He and Joe Hunter, Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson and Kyle vowed to play an “honest” game with integrity and no backstabbing, which made his elimination all the more shocking to David.

David Kinne Got Roasted for Dramatically Standing Up During Tribal Council

As a member of the jury, David continued to entertain viewers. During week 11 when his alliance mate Mary Zheng was voted out, he silently stood up from the jury bench with a solemn expression and his hands clasped.

Fellow jury member Star Toomey had to cover her mouth to hide her laughter, while still active competitors Shauhin and Kamilla Karthigesu both were on the verge of hysterics.

“To watch him literally stand up, as if I’m his fallen comrade. I love David so much. That was hilarious. David has always been … he’s got a lot of heart. And in that moment, he was feeling it. So, yes, f–king hilarious,” Mary told Parade on May 8, 2025, about David’s infamous move.