2004 Fastest Trowel Competition

Words: Dan KamysThe crowds were roaring, the mortar was flying and the towering walls grew before our eyes March 24, 2004 at MCAA?s Annual Fastest Trowel Competition. It was an exciting day for the 18 competitors who had been waiting in suspense for the day to come. 20 minutes, 150 blocks and their masonry craftsmanship was all they had to race and become the 2004 Fastest Trowel champions.

Eighteen contestants and their tenders, consisting of past competitors and a handful of new faces, hit the floor for this year?s contest. The competition, sponsored by SpecMix, pit some of the industry?s best masons to compete and build a wall judged not only on speed and the amount of block laid, but also judged based on level, true and workmanship, voids, production, story and plumb.

After the dust had settled the judges went to work to determine who had the speed and skill to become the 2004 Fastest Trowel Champion. MCAA congratulates:


/Public/News/5212004938.gif" width="133" height="145" border="0" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="1"> First Place: Moroni Meja II
Sponsored by Rhino Masonry Inc, Mesa AZ

Second Place: Pascal Robertson
Sponsored by Pascal Robertson Masonry, Apopka FL

Third Place: Ramon Gonzalez
Sponsored by Canyon Rock Masonry, Inc, Flagstaff AZ


Thanks to the volunteers and co-sponsors who helped make this competition a great success! Thanks to:

Sponsor
SpecMix

Co-Sponsors
Lafarge North America, Marshalltown Trowel, Non-Stop Scaffolding, E-Z Grout Corporation, ACME Brick Company, Quikcrete

Contest Judges
JLG Gradall, Multiquip, E-Z Grout, Rinker Materials c/o Acme Brick, Crick Tools and National Lime Association.

Materials and Manpower
Steven Fechino, Brian Carney, Rob Greer, Mackie Bounds, Ron Clough, Alan Griffin, Roy Swindal and the rest of the volunteers who helped make this competition a continued success.

About: Convention
The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
May 2026

You’ve been around long enough to know this already: stone doesn’t fail on the face; it fails behind the wall. You can lay the prettiest veneer in the county, but if the prep is junk, that wall’s gonna start telling on you after a couple of winters. Manu

Masonry Innovation in Action: Belden Brick’s Glazed Thin Brick Redefines Design Possibilities
May 2026

Masonry innovation is pivotal in shaping the built environment, and The Belden Brick Company is at the forefront of this evolution. Architects, designers, and contractors increasingly seek materials that marry high performance with bold aesthetics, and Be

Celebrating Craftsmanship and Country
May 2026

The 250th anniversary of the United States is more than a date. It is a reflection of centuries of progress, innovation, and determination. STABILA has chosen to mark this milestone with a product that mirrors those same qualities. The Patriot Series Maso

Rethinking Shelf Angle Design for High-Performance Masonry Walls
May 2026

If you've been around masonry construction long enough, you know the shelf angle is one of those details that’s easy to take for granted. It’s been used the same way for decades, set it at the slab edge, support the veneer, move on. But as building requir