10th annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® Colorado Regional Competition is a success

Words: Riley AllenThe 2014 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® Regional Competition for Colorado was held at Procoat Systems in Denver, CO on September 20th. Nine teams of brick masons and tenders vied for a competition spot in the 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championships held in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 4, 2015. There, they will compete for over $100,000 in cash and prizes including a new 2015 Ford F-250 XLT truck.

Juan Cabral, a mason with Commercial Masonry Specialists, Eaton, CO, and his mason tender Ivan Flores, finished with a net count of 50 brick over the rest of the competition to take home first place. The first place finish propels Cabral into the World Series of Bricklaying in Las Vegas, that being the 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Competition at the World of Concrete. It also came with $700 cash, trowels and a bag from Marshalltown and a Smith level donated by Threewit Cooper. The second place prize of $300 went to former regional champion Jason Boll of Creative Masonry. Jason also captured the SPEC MIX TOP CPRAFTSMAN Award of $300 and tools from Marshalltown as well as another Smith Level. Boll’s 518 net brick held off 3rd place finisher and father, Bob Boll, who is no stranger to winning the Colorado regional and the World Competition. Bob’s net count of 467 edged out Estaban Cabral (430 brick) for 3rd place. All bricklayers and tenders received cash and prizes for their participation.

The 10th Annual SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Colorado Regional switched locations in 2014 and was hosted at Procoat Systems, a leading supplier of premium building materials with locations in Denver and Fort Collins. The event sponsors included Procoat Systems, General Shale, Colorado Best Block, and Threewit Cooper. General Shale supplied the brick while Colorado Best Block supplied CMU’s. Prize donations came from Threewit Cooper.

Hydro Rents of Denver Colorado set up a Hydromobile Work Platform. Multiquip sent mixers and mortar tubs to accommodate the 10 tons of SPEC MIX Portland Lime Sand Type N used by the Bricklayers in 1 hour. Betamax was also on hand to display their products, and O’Meara Ford showed up with a Ford Truck to show off.

Tacos were barbequed and prepared for all attendees. Games such as bean bag toss delivered $100 to a skilled 1st place winner and $50 to the second place. A lucky winner won a high definition big screen television by winning a game of heads/tails.

Final Results

First Place

Mason — Juan Cabral 568 Brick
Tender — Ivan Flores
Commercial Masonry Specialists, Eaton, CO

SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN

Mason — Jason Boll — 518 Brick Tender — TJ Pennington
Creative Masonry, Littleton, CO

2nd Place

Mason — Jason Boll — 518 Brick Tender — TJ Pennington
Creative Masonry, Littleton, CO

3rd Place

Mason — Bob Boll - 467 Brick Tender — Kevin McMullen
Boll Masonry, Golden, CO

For more information on the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER Regional Program call 888-SPECMIX or go to www.specmixbricklayer500.com.
Facial Recognition for Masonry Companies
August 2025

Masonry companies face a unique set of challenges. Managing a mobile workforce across multiple job sites requires precision and accountability. CrewTracks recognizes this need and has introduced an innovative facial recognition feature designed to streaml

2025 SkillsUSA National Competition Recap
August 2025

The 2025 SkillsUSA National Competition served as a critical platform for evaluating the future of the masonry industry. The event provided a clear look at the talent pipeline, industry-wide collaboration, and technological advancements poised to shape th

Empower Your Team to Help Prevent Cyberattacks
August 2025

Human error contributes to 82% of data breaches, making your employees a crucial line of defense against cyber threats.1 A single mistake could expose your business to a data breach. This could lead to data loss, downtime, and a negative impact on your bo

The True Costs of Traditional Wood Bucks: Beyond the Lumber Bill
August 2025

Wood bucks have been holding up CMU block on masonry jobs for decades now, albeit precariously. This infamous lumber has been sawed, screwed, braced, and cursed more often than anyone would want to count. For something meant to be temporary, they have cle