Littleton mason Bob Boll keeps his award from the Guinness Book of World Records on the left side of his entry hall, so the first thing visitors see is proof of his standing as the world’s fastest bricklayer. His 1987 feat – laying a plumb level, 8-inch thick double-brick wall of 914 bricks in 60 minutes – still stands.
The eldest of three brothers, Boll grew up on Mason Avenue in Chicago. He became a bricklayer as an adolescent, when the youth pastor at his church hired him as a seasonal employee. His brothers, Tim Boll and Mike Boll, both went into masonry, too, as did three of Bob Boll’s four sons, and the Boll family’s next-door neighbor.
On Saturday, Bob Boll will be among the contestants in the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 regional competition. Rivals include his son Jason.
You compete against your son?
I compete against my brothers, and I compete against Jason, but my son, Paul, is my tender (mortar-mixer and go-fer). He’s been my tender since he was 13, and he’s 28 now.
How did Jason get into competitive bricklaying?
Before the 2004 Spec Mix competition, Jason told me, “Dad, I think I can do that.” He was 19 and laying rocks but hadn’t done bricks.
How long before the 2004 competition did he say that?
Two days. Then, the night before the competition, I taught him how to do corners. Jason had laid rocks, but with bricklaying, you need to spread the mortar a certain way. I won that year, and he placed second. One of the other bricklayers came up to Jason afterward and asked how long he’d been laying brick. He was pretty mad when Jason told him two days.
Does it help to be athletic in these bricklaying contests?
Probably so. I try to stay in shape. I go on bike rides and hikes. Colorado’s been good for me to stay in shape. I played soccer in college.
What did you do in college?
Well, I only went for one year, because the same guy from church – the one who’d hired me to work summers – said I couldn’t work for him unless I went to college. So I went, and then he let me lay brick for him. He had a big company with a lot of people. That was good, because the more people teaching you, the better you can choose what techniques are best for you.
Do you stay in touch with him?
Yes. His name’s Bob Van Vossen, and he says the reason I’m so fast is because I was always trying to keep up with him when I worked for him. In 2004, after I won, I showed him the trophy and took him out to dinner.
How do you practice?
I have a set-up in my basement, using a lime and sand mix, like they do in bricklaying school. It’s similar to regular mortar, but you can take apart the wall at the end of the day.
How much time do you spend practicing?
Well, I don’t really practice until I have to. If we’re going to (the world bricklaying championship competition in) Las Vegas, then I practice a little more.
What’s your competition strategy?
I try to get the biggest trowel I can find. I generally bring two trowels, because if you drop one on the other side of the wall, I can’t go over to pick it up, because that’d be breaking one of the competition rules. So I keep a spare.
Why do you like wide trowels?
Because I can get a lot of mortar on them.
Do you have a favorite trowel?
Well, I still have the trowel I won in the Guinness competition. I had it plated.
Do you see many of the same faces, year after year, at the bricklaying competitions?
I guess so. In 1987, one of the guys I beat was the father of the guy in charge of the competition. And he – the dad – was a judge when I won in 2004.
