Words: MASONRY
Photos: MASONRY Magazine, SPEC MIX
MASONRY MADNESS® took place on Wednesday, January, 19th in the silver lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. As always, this was a highlight of the World of Concrete, and the competitors squared off to see who would come out on top in the four respective contests.
MCAA’s Masonry Skills Challenge
MCAA’s Masonry Skills Challenge is the national championship of masonry apprentices in first, second-and third-year skill levels. The contest consists of aspiring masons who are given three hours to showcase their skills by challenging the winning apprentices from numerous regional U.S. and foreign competitions to determine the top masonry apprentices at each level. This exciting competition spotlights the industry’s finest young masons and focuses on careers in the masonry industry.
FIRST YEAR APPRENTICES
First Place: Frank Kocjancic, Bricklayers Local 9 PA, Pittsburgh, PA
Second Place: Sebastian Fernandez, Groesbeck Masonry, San Antonio, TX
Third Place: Juan Mendez, Arizona Masonry Council/Recreate Companies, Phoenix, AZ
SECOND YEAR APPRENTICES
First Place: Mason Saunders, Huntley Brothers Company, Inc., Midland, NC
Second Place: Oscar Montano, Sun Valley Masonry, Tucson, AZ
Third Place: Kurtis Sutter, Rudolph Libbe, Inc., Grand Rapids, OH
THIRD YEAR APPRENTICES
First Place: Josh Rehme, Patrico Masonry, St. Louis, MO
Second Place: Robert McKibben, Dallas College, Coppell, TX
Third Place: Marco Antonio Suruy, District Council Training Center, Addison, IL
MCAA’s Fastest Trowel On The Block
The Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition, hosted by the Mason Contractors Association of America, is a showcase of industry craftsmanship and a testament to both the speed and skill of our industry’s workforce. Only those journeymen masons who have the skill, confidence, and courage to face off with the industry’s best are invited to compete in the twenty-minute heat to determine who is the best.
FIRST PLACE: Roberto Cimental (Mason) and Mark Diaz (Tender), Arizona State Masonry, Gilbert, AZ
SECOND PLACE: Gerardo Patlan (Mason) and Luis Costilla (Tender), Adams Fence LLC, Phoenix, AZ
THIRD PLACE: Lwdin Sandoval (Mason) and Edgar Nieto (Tender), Sargon Masonry Construction, LLC, Phoenix, AZ
SPEC MIX Toughest Tender
The SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® Competition is a combination of speed and detail that requires each of the mason tenders in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 to strategically lift, carry and place thousands of pounds of materials and tools needed to set up the bricklayer’s defined workstation.
Winner: Haran Mcgee, McGee Brothers, Monroe, NC, (17:19)
SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®
Mason Cole Stamper, with his mason tender, Jeff Becker, took home the first-place win at the 2022 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®. The Lexington, KY native laid 760 bricks in one hour to claim the title, “World’s Best Bricklayer,” taking home a new Ford F250 4×4 truck, an Essick Pro12 Mixer, and more than $10,000 in additional cash and prizes.
“It’s amazing, man. I can’t believe it. It’s wonderful to have a good partner to tend me, and thanks to my amazing family for all of their support,” Stamper explained after his victory. Stamper came in 2nd place in 2019 and practiced hard to improve his brick count. All of that hard work paid off as he has officially been named the 20th World Champion in the history of the event.
Winner: Cole Stamper (Mason) and Jeff Becker (Tender) from Mason Structure in Lexington, KY
SPEC MIX Top Craftsman
The second most infamous and coveted award at the event is the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN, which was awarded to mason Scott Tuttle and mason tender Brian Tuttle. Scott laid 730 bricks in one hour. For the effort they put forth, the Tuttle’s took home a new Kubota RTV-X1140 as well as more than $10,000 in additional cash and prizes. The Tuttle’s also took second place in the competition.
Winner: Scott Tuttle (Mason) and Brian Tuttle (Tender) from Quik Trowell Masonry in Clearfield, UT