Texas Mason David Chavez Wins 2018 Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 World Championship

In front of the largest crowd in the 16-year history of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship (see HIGHLIGHT VIDEO in ENGLISH), David Chavez of Ranch Masonry in Houston, Texas claimed the crown “World’s Best Bricklayer.” After 60 minutes of laying bricks against 27 other world-class masons, 34-year old Chavez put up a wall with 698 perfectly placed brick (zero deductions) that earned him a 2018 Ford F-250 XLT 4×4 truck, an Essick EM120 HYD mortar mixer on top of $10,000 in cash and prizes. It was his third time qualifying for the championship event in Las Vegas, Nevada (Chavez won second place in 2017). With the help of his mason tender, Miguel Contreras, Chavez delivered his best performance in an arena packed with thousands of spectators.

When asked about winning the event, Chavez said, “It has been a dream come true because the first time I saw the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 back in 2013 it seemed like an amazing event that I would like to participate in and win one day. I finally got my opportunity in 2015 but fell short, then again in 2017 I got so close when I placed second, and now finally my dream has come true.”

Of the 28 bricklayers and mason tender teams that competed for the event’s $125,000 purse, bricklayer Leif Reints of Wyandotte, Oklahoma claimed the next highest ranking title, SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN. Reints claimed a 2018 John Deere Gator XUV 835 and another $10,000 in cash and prizes for his efforts. Reints (37) laid 625 brick without any craftsmanship deductions in which a 30-judge panel agreed was the “most sellable” wall. No stranger to the event, it was Reints’ sixth World Championship appearance. Reints previously claimed the World Champion title in 2012.

Standing beside Chavez and Reints in the winners’ circle, Second Place honors went to Brian Tuttle of Quik Trowell Masonry in Clearfield, Utah. A mason for 23 years, Brian laid 689 brick to win $4,000 and over $1,500 in sponsor prizes. His mason tender was his brother, best friend and business partner Scott Tuttle who, as a bricklayer, was the 2016 Champion and 2012 TOP CRAFTSMAN winner. Considered a veteran of the competition, over the past 16 years Brian competed 15 times; nine times as a bricklayer and six times as a mason tender—an attendance record that has never been challenged.

Rounding out the pool of winners was the 2017 defending champion Matt Cash of Huntley Brothers Company in Mint Hill, North Carolina. With a large crew of family and friends rooting him on, Cash (35) laid 658 brick to claim Third Place and a check for $3,000 plus $1,500 in prizes.

Kicking off the bricklaying action was the SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER competition. Twenty-eight mason tenders raced to stage all the materials used during the bricklaying event. Nick Miller with Brock Construction in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin was named TOUGHEST TENDER, and collected a check for $2,500 and $1,500 in prizes. Miller recorded the second-best-ever time of 15 minutes flat (WR – 11 minutes 7 second, set in 2005). Established to show the value a mason tender brings to a mason, it’s a crowd favorite that tests the speed, endurance and accuracy of a skilled laborer.

Commonly referred to as the “Super Bowl of Masonry,” the bricklaying battle took place on Wednesday, Jan. 24 in the heart of the Masonry Madness Day arena at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas. Before a bricklayer is eligible to compete in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship, each competitor must qualify by winning their Regional Series competition. This earns them a shot at taking down the returning Champion or SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN title holders. This year’s event showcased the skills of its first female contestant, Sheree Canham, an accomplished mason who made the journey with her family from New Berimma, NSW Australia. The second international competitor who crossed the pond was Luke Lovegrove of Long Sutton, Lincolnshire England. Both stated they hope to return to make a run at the title.

The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 initiative was created in 2003 to promote masonry construction while accentuating the craftsmanship, pride and passion that masons dedicate to their work. It’s also a means for SPEC MIX, its sponsors and supporters, to give back to the masonry trade and strengthen its future. Over the years the event has evolved into an industry movement used as a tool for recruiting skilled labor and workforce development programs. The fierce competition, quality of craftsmanship and the growing annual crowds, is evidence that the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 is uniting the industry and infusing energy into a craft that commands respect and admiration.