Ready, set, compete!

By Lauren White. 

The 2025 Building Envelope Olympics showcases sportsmanship and skills. 

Professionalism. Precision. Pride. All things that come to mind when thinking about Olympians, which we’ll see soon for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The same is true for the more than 100 competitors who convened in Scottsdale, Arizona for the third annual Building Envelope Olympics. Global Roofing Group invited their installers, fabricators and laborers to compete for the title of Building Envelope Champion April 9-11, 2025. This year, three new competitions were added bringing the total to 13 and ranged from installing TPO and spray foam to single skin IMP and coping cap. There were also three creative competitions – spray foam, TPO and metal – that were available all day for competitors to flex their imagination. And let me tell you, roofers are creative! I had no idea what was possible with these different materials – a moving Flintstone car, a bobble head French bulldog, a TPO mobile and metal Viking helmet.  

The night before the official start of the Building Envelope Olympics, sponsors met for a BBQ dinner and a tour of the WestWorld of Scottsdale facility to get a feel for what to expect the next two days. We also got a chance to meet with other sponsors who help make this event possible! Dave Nordentoft from Leister, Dean Jagusch with Wagner Roofing and Amy Staska with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) were amongst a few of the sponsors I chatted with during dinner. Seeing everything set up was great, but it didn’t prepare me for what was to come! 

Opening day 

The WestWorld was buzzing with excitement as the competitors came together. Once everyone was checked in, the whole group started with a stretch and flex – it’s all about safety even during a competition. Then it was off to their respective stations and the measuring, cutting, nailing and torching began! 

We happened to be in Scottsdale during a heat wave, with highs reaching 103! And for us spectators, we got a glimpse at what it feels like to roof during the heat. Here at The Coffee Shops, we talk and write about how dangerous roofing is and the importance of heat safety and for many who aren’t on the rooftop, this can be an issue that’s out of sight, out of mind. Roofing is hard manual labor and rooftops are typically in direct sunlight, which, according to the Department of Energy, can reach temperatures as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot, sunny day. That temperature doesn’t account for all the safety gear that’s required and essential for roofers to be safe either – boots, hard hats, long sleeves and pant legs, safety vests, etc. It’s hot, hard work.  

A glimpse into the competition 

Competitors are given a spec sheet and then get started on their install. And while it is a competition, it’s not about speed. Everyone is judged on their quality, following the specs, safety and then speed is considered last. Platforms were constructed on both sides of the facility to give spectators a birds-eye view of the competitions. Something new this year was VIP tours! We had the opportunity to sign up for a time slot and someone from Global gave the group a behind-the-scenes tour of the competitions.

People were very responsive to this, giving them a whole new perspective and insight to the competition.

And for people not familiar with all the installation steps and details (like me who reads about them all the time) it was really something to see it up close.

They also added more educational sessions for people to attend throughout the day. Representatives from DAS/BASF, SOPREMA, Berridge and GAF presented on spray foam, built up, metal and single-ply roofing.

See more for yourself below! 

Day two: Back for more 

Day two was family day! Taking place on a Saturday meant there were lots of people in attendance. Roofing isn’t typically a spectator sport, so it was pretty special to see all the waves, thumbs up and kisses blown to the competitors’ supporters as competitions took place. And how great that kids could watch their parents not only compete but see what their day-to-day job is. 

This was also the last day for the creative competitions and the final projects were set out for visitors to judge and choose their favorite – mine was the Flintstone car! It actually moved! Two kids sat in it and were pushed around. I’m telling you, anything is possible with roofing materials! 

Once the competitions came to a close, the day ended with raffle prizes and awards. Not only do winners receive a medal and the glory of being the Building Envelope Olympics champion, but they also win some incredible cash prizes, some as much as $3,000. It was pretty incredible to see two days of skill, competition, comradery and pride amongst the Global Roofing Group.  

How it started 

But how did all of this get started? RJ Radobenko, the CEO of Global Roofing Group, is the mastermind behind this event. It all started in 2020 when COVID-19 uncertainty was high and morale was low. Many industries were hit hard, materials were running out, supply chain disruptions were an everyday occurrence, prices were escalating, jobs were delayed regularly and overall, it was a tough time in the office and in the field. As RJ shared, “Culture was at an all-time low – hard to make customers happy, people were sick and there was so much uncertainty. It was negative for the business and the industry overall.” In an effort to turn that around, in 2022, RJ took a course at Stanford to gain a sense of what the new world would look like and figure out what he could do differently moving forward. What he took away from it helped change the culture and morale at Global Roofing Group for the better - the upside-down triangle model. In this model, the CEO is at the bottom of the triangle and the newest hires are at the top and the most celebrated. These celebrations started off as elbow bumps whenever a field worker was in the office. Then as COVID restrictions loosened, elbow bumps turned into knuckles and eventually high-fives. And the energy behind those high-fives really started the culture push. As RJ pointed out, high-fives are one of the most common reactions when you’re excited or celebrating someone or something! 

As this culture SHIFT continued, it was established that the office staff are the support team – coaches, managers, towel boys – for those in the field. And according to RJ, “We were all working together to accomplish one thing, to unlock the peak performance of the field workers mentally, physically and emotionally.” This happened both in the office and in the field. Whenever the all stars (field workers) were in the office they were greeted with high fives, given Gatorade and electrolytes and handed protein bars and other snacks to keep them fueled. They also started implementing field appreciation days once a month where office staff went out to the field and would have lunch with the crews in the fields, no matter what the elements were – hot, cold, windy. RJ shared that most of the office team had never been in the field before, so they got outfitted with safety vests, boots, hats and trained on safety in the field. And while it was uncomfortable for some to have all that attention and appreciation directed at them, it only took a couple weeks for it to really catch on. 

RJ wanted to take it one step further beyond the office though. And he proposed to leadership in July 2022, “Our field workers are going to be practicing all year for the biggest event of the year, the Olympics!” Seven months later they were hosting their first Building Envelope Olympics. According to RJ, “That seven months was revolutionary for the culture of the team. This celebration of the Olympics was the ultimate praise for the field crew – seeing them on stage, competing against each other and celebrating together.” 

What started in a field with a few competitors has grown exponentially in just three years and now hosts over 1,000 people each day! And I have a feeling it's going to be bigger and better next year! 

Photo credit: Global Roofing Group, RCS