FinishMaster announced that their 2022 Hood Master and PiN Master Challenges recently held at the Alexander Hotel in downtown Indianapolis were a huge success.
The FinishMaster Team welcomed around 250 guests from all over the country to the events, which shine a spotlight on the talent, skill and creativity of auto painters and collision students.
From the time guests walked under the custom-made Hood Master entrance and through the completely transformed event space, they were surrounded by a total of 70 hoods and 38 pins. To top it off, 13 winning hoods from previous challenges were highlighted and displayed as the backdrop on the center stage.
The FinishMaster Team left no stone unturned regarding entertainment, and the room buzzed with positive energy. Starting with the gala itself, the 2022 hoods on display mesmerized the guests with the technique and creativity poured into each painter’s artwork. There were also activities for children, including a scavenger hunt to help them navigate the room and understand what they were experiencing, and a special demonstration by FinishMaster’s Mike Cohen and Darold Moore. Cohen and Moore spent their time teaching kids the art of taping on micro-mini hoods.
Everyone had the opportunity to try out their painting skills with the virtual spraybooth experience by Sagola an Elcometer Company. FinishMaster was simultaneously hosting a fundraiser where all proceeds raised went to an education grant for the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). Items included in the fundraiser were an online auction of hoods and pins from previous challenges, beautifully displayed raffle baskets and Hood Master swag.
This challenge would not have been possible without the participation and dedication from painters, who are true artists, the sponsors who supported this event happen, the 19 industry-expert judges and a multitude of volunteers. They all devoted their personal time and resources to carry out their responsibilities, and FinishMaster thanks each and every one of them for being a part of the magic of Hood Master.
The winners were:
Pinstripe
1st place – Ol’ Calhoun, Brendan Warmerdam
2nd place – Exalted Circuit, Drew Brasington
3rd Place – Paint by Performance, Mike Smith
Airbrush
1st place – Guilty Pleasure, Chad Henslin
2nd place – Immortalis in Memoria, Tom Strait
3rd place – Ignite Your Passion, Andy Dean
Overall
Wild card – Exalted Circuit; Drew Brasington
Crowd favorite – Rhythm N’ Blues; Zack Hampton
Highlighting Students’ Skills
PiN Master is a student challenge hosted during Hood Master for high school and college students in collision repair programs across the U.S. who compete against each other by repairing, designing and painting retired bowling pins. The goal of the PiN Master Challenge is to showcase the skills of these students and to support the future of this industry.
Hood Master’s 19 industry-expert judges utilized their background and expertise to properly evaluate the skills and technique of each of the students’ pins and determine this year’s winners.
The winners were:
1st place – Untitled, Eric De La Cruz, Lincoln Tech
2nd place – Untitled, Colton Griggs, Kingwood Park High School
3rd place – Untitled, Erin Shannon, Lincoln Tech
Wild card – A Little Bit of Everything, Jordan Hoag, Cape Fear Community College
FinishMaster Fundraiser
For the second year in a row, FinishMaster utilized the Hood Master platform as an opportunity to support the future of the collision repair industry. All proceeds raised before and during the Hood Master Challenge went directly to a FinishMaster-sponsored education grant for CREF to support collision repair education programs across the nation. This year, the FinishMaster and CREF teams raised a record $13,000, which more than doubled from the previous year.
The FinishMaster team partnered with CREF to build an online auction site for anyone who wanted a chance at taking a piece of Hood Master and PiN Master history home with them while supporting collision repair programs. The stakes were high, and guests at the Hood Master event were able to bid on the hoods and pins displayed in the foyer area, with some bids coming in at the last minute before the auction closed. Additionally, while at the event, attendees could purchase raffle tickets to try and win special raffle baskets with prizes that included custom-painted pieces by some of the challengers and other painters who volunteered their resources and time. The non-winning 2022 hoods became available for sale at a set price after the winners were announced at the event. It was exciting to watch guests make a mad dash to get to their favorite hood!
FinishMaster looks forward to seeing everyone again next year for the 2023 Hood Master and PiN Master Challenges.
FinishMaster is the leading national distributor of paint, coatings and related materials for the automotive and industrial finishing industries. Their mission is to provide quality products, reliable delivery and a steadfast commitment to our customers and their continued success.
For more information on FinishMaster, visit finishmaster.com.
