Robertson Wins 2008 Fastest Trowel Competition

Words: Mason Contractors
/Public/News/20080211093800-1.jpg" width="300" height="200" border="0" alt="Pascal Robertson, 2008 Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition winner.">
Pascal Robertson, 2008 Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition winner.

Masons and their tenders were highlighted at the 2008 MCAA Convention in Las Vegas, NV at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry on January 24, 2008. The annual Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition drew a big audience to catch the action and see who would win the $7,000 grand prize. Contestants from across the country came to compete against each other to build the biggest and best block wall.

The Fastest Trowel showcases the skill of the industry's masons and how important teamwork is in accomplishing a final product. The competition pitted the masons against one another in a show of both speed and craftsmanship. Each contestant's goal is to complete as much of an 18-block-long wall as possible. With the 20-minute time limit that is placed on the contestants, they must make split-second decisions based on the judging criteria. Only those masons who have the skill, confidence and courage to face off with the industry's best are invited to compete.

The contest was one of the best ever, as each mason worked quickly to build a quality wall while the crowd cheered them on through the twenty minute competition. After the judges completed their scoring, the results were announced.

The top-placing contestants in this year's competition were:

First Place
Pascal Robertson
Robertson Masonry
Sorrento, FL
Tenders: Tyler Robertson, Jesse Fullen

Second Place
Ray Robinson
J.A.M. Construction, Inc.
Gainesville, FL
Tenders: Lynette Darby, James Allen

Third Place
Noe Melgoza
Avila Masonry
Glendale, AZ
Tenders: Oswaldo Rodriguez, Diego Martinez

Winners received trophies, plus first place took home $7,000, second place received $2,500 and $1,000 was awarded to third place.

The Mason Contractors Association of America would like to thank the judges from across the country for donating their time and expertise, and the sponsors and service and material donors for their contributions including Angelus Block Co., Inc., EZ Scaffold, Hydro Mobile, Inc., Non-Stop Scaffolding, QUIKRETE, SPEC MIX, EZ Grout Corporation, John Spencer Brickwork, Marshalltown Company, Tradesmen’s Software, Inc., P&S Masonry, Inc., Stone Construction Equipment, Bon Tool Co., MK Diamond Products, Inc., and Wasco, Inc.
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