The 2018 Masonry Madness® Day at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas was the biggest and best event to date! Special thanks the the MCAA as well as our Platinum and Gold sponsors who made everything possible. We compiled some of the best footage and made a montage of memorable moments. Please share! You can watch the video here.

MASONRY MADNESS® is a full day of excitement, innovation, and celebration for the masonry industry. There are 4 top competitions held in 1 day at the World of Concrete tradeshow. This will be the biggest masonry competition ever as world class competitors go trowels out for over $150,000 in cash & prizes! Thousands of masonry fans will be treated to numerous demonstrations and fierce competitions showcasing the world’s best masons battling for World Champion honors. Watch the MCAA’s Masonry Skills Challenge, the SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER®, the MCAA’s Fastest Trowel on the Block and the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship on a Live webcast. For more information go to  www.specmixbricklayer500.com  or  www.specmix.com
Las Vegas, NV - 

In his third attempt since 2015, David Chavez and his mason tender Miguel Contreras, of Ranch Masonry in Houston, TX, took home the grand prize in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®. Chavez is now the proud recipient a 2018 Ford F250 4X4, an Essick EM120 mixer, and over $10,000 in additional cash and prizes. The winning brick count was 698, with zero deductions. 

This was the third time Chavez qualified for a chance to become World Champion. He placed second in 2017, and came back with a vengeance. He's been laying brick for 14 years, but he's only been dreaming about being on top of the masonry world since 2013, when he first found out about the SMBL500. Chavez thanks his father and brother for teaching him the trade, and for instilling hard work and determination into his everyday routine.





There are two ways to judge the final product in the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500®. The grand prize champion is critiqued on the number of bricks laid
minus the number of deductions, the mason with the highest total wins. Another way determines The SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN® award. This distinction goes to the mason with the "most sellable wall." This year, the stakes for this title were higher than ever before. John Deere put up a new Gator XUV835 for this accolade, and Leif Reints, of Reints Masonry in Wyandotte, OK took home the honor, the Gator, and over $10,000 in additional cash and prizes.

Reints is no stranger to the spotlight at the SMBL500. In 2012 he was named World Champion in only his second appearance. Reints learned the trade 18 years ago at Northeastern Vocational School in Afton, OK. He said, "I'm proud to be a part of something that brings knowledge to the public about the masonry trade and gives young masons a goal."

Before this years event, Reints said he would celebrate "extremely well" in Las Vegas if he won. He may not have been named "World Champion," but we are willing to bet he spent a good amount of time celebrating after he claimed his new title, Top Craftsman.
The 2018 class has been officially announced, and this year the MCAA has inducted Damian Lang, Curtis Hoover, Mackie Bounds, Justin Breithaupt Sr., and Mario Catani into their Masonry Hall of Fame.
The award was created by the Masonry Contractors Association of America to recognize and award individuals who have dedicated their lives to the masonry industry. Each honoree chosen have exemplary backgrounds which have been instrumental in driving workforce development and setting industry standards.

The SPEC MIX team would like to personally congratulate the newest MCAA Hall of Fame class on their success and contributions. To learn more about these two remarkable individuals, visit the  MCAA's Hall of Fame page.