MASONRY MADNESS® 2021: The Best Go Head-to-Head

The most action-packed event at the World of Concrete takes place on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in the Silver Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. MASONRY MADNESS® is a collection of the most exhilarating masonry competitions in the world, and they all happen on one day at one central location. 

Event after event, attendees see the best bricklayers, blocklayers, mason apprentices, and tenders go head-to-head in four unique and challenging masonry contests to prove who is the best in the world. You don’t want to miss seeing these skilled craftsmen compete for the largest value of cash and prize awarded for any construction industry event held in the world!

MCAA MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE
8:00 AM- 11:00 AM
Las Vegas Convention Center, Silver Lot 

The MCAA’s Masonry Skills Challenge is a competition of masonry apprentices in first, second, and third year skill levels. The contest is a showcase for skills training the masonry industry, challenging winning apprentices from regional competitions held throughout the country to determine the top masonry apprentice at each level. The exciting competition spotlights our industry’s finest young masons and focuses attention on careers in the masonry industry. 

Contestants are divided by experience level, "First Years" who are just entering the trade through "Third Years" who are just about to enter the workforce as journeymen. Each level is given a project to build appropriate to their experience. 

The catch? The projects are a complete surprise! 

Contestants must build their project without ever having seen the drawings. They haven't been able to practice, and they can't consult their instructor, employer or anyone else during the competition. They have three hours to complete their projects with the given materials. Awards are presented to the top three apprentices in each skill level. 

Spec Mix Toughest Tender
9:00 AM
Las Vegas Convention Center, Silver Lot 

Teamwork is the key to success when it comes to the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500®, however, before the masons can lay those bricks as fast as they possibly can their tenders have to set up his or her respective station. This is where the SPEC MIX Toughest Tender® comes into play. Tenders are more than helpers, they are coaches, advisors and scouts, teamwork and coordination between the mason’s tender and the competing mason for set-up strategy is critical for success. These tenders keep the brick and mortar coming to their masons.

By the end of the competition, each mason tender has typically moved by hand 2,000 pounds of block, 3,000 pounds of brick and shoveled 3,000 pounds of mortar. From the beginning, organizers wanted the important contribution mason tenders make to the masonry team to be acknowledged. The SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® competition is a preliminary event to the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship Competition. The SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER is a challenge in which the competitors demonstrate the jobsite skills of organization, safety, and hustle.

The world's top mason tenders compete for the fastest time setting up their SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® workstation. Watch as they haul tons of brick, block, equipment and materials to beat their peers and take home $2,500 cash and prizes.

Care for quality is also an important consideration. Tenders often use brick tongs for the placement of brick stacks. Since chipped bricks are not allowed in the wall, tenders must take care in the brick placement and inspection.

Tenders have another role in ensuring the bricklaying competition is safe. Before the start of the competition, the tender must restore all materials originally in the stall to their original position as accurately as possible with the exception of the material used in the construction of the starter courses. Once the work area is set up and the SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER competition is complete, there is no deviation to the configuration of the work area until the start of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500.

MCAA’s Fastest Trowel on the Block
9:15 AM — 9:45 AM
Las Vegas Convention Center, Silver Lot 

The Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition is hosted by the Mason Contractors Association of America, and is a showcase of industry craftsmanship and a testament of both the speed and skill of our industry's workforce. Only journeymen masons who have the skill, confidence and, courage face-off with the industry's best are invited to compete. This contest proves how important teamwork is in accomplishing a final product.

The competition pits journeyman masons and their favorite tender, against one another in a show of speed and craftsmanship. Each contestant's goal is to complete as much of a 30-foot-long wall as possible, using 8"x8"x16" CMU and the provided mortar in a 20-minute heat. Contestants must have a high degree of workmanship using normal masonry practices and hand tools.

The contest promotes quality training and pride in workmanship among journeymen and contractors, as well as promoting the craftsmanship, speed, and versatility of masonry systems and the masonry workforce. This contest also rewards and highlights the country's best mason journeymen for their hard work and dedication to the trade.

SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® 
9:45 AM — 11:15 AM
Las Vegas Convention Center, Silver Lot 

Who is the best bricklayer in the nation? The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® competition at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas will answer the question.

Teams of one mason and one mason tender build a 26-foot 8-in., double wythe brick wall. The most bricks laid in one hour and counted under the quality rules wins the event.

Judged by over 20 highly qualified industry experts, the award places are based on the highest brick counts meeting the quality standards and competition rules. The judges will check each mason's wall for workmanship and production to determine who will make it to the winner's circle, where over $100,000 in cash and prizes will be given away.

The champion is awarded the title "World's Best Bricklayer" and handed the keys to drive home in the grand prize, a new Ford F-250 4x4 SuperDuty Truck. For those who won’t be able to make it out to the competitions this year, SPEC MIX will be streaming this event live on June 9, 2021 at www.specmixbricklayer500.com. 

Be sure to check back in the next issue to see the competitor’s list and more information on this action-packed day!