MASONRY MADNESS® is Today!

Words: Mason ContractorsOver $120,000 in cash and prizes will be given away today during MASONRY MADNESS® in Las Vegas! It’s a collection of the most exciting masonry competitions in the world and it all takes place on one day in the Bronze Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

One event after the other, you’ll see the best bricklayers, blocklayers, mason apprentices and tenders compete in four unique masonry contests to prove who is the world’s best. You don’t want to miss a second of the action as these highly skilled craftsman compete for the largest value of cash and prizes ever awarded for any construction industry event. It’s MASONRY MADNESS!

Masonry Skills Challenge

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The Masonry Skills Challenge is a competition of masonry apprentices in first, second and third year skill levels. This exciting competition highlights 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 know-how. The catch? The projects are a complete surprise!

Contestants have three hours to complete their projects with the given materials. Awards are presented to the top three apprentices in each skill level.

Toughest Tender Contest

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM

Prior to the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® competition, each team's tender will prove to the crowd who is the fastest in the "Toughest Tender" contest. These iron men will lay out the masons' competition site with 1,000 brick evenly staged to set up a predefined work area for the mason while racing against the clock.

Fastest Trowel on the Block

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition is a showcase of industry craftsmanship and a testament of both the speed and skill of our industry's workforce. Each contestant's goal is to complete as much of an 18-blocklong wall as possible, using 8"x8"x16" CMU and the provided mortar in a twenty-minute heat. Contestants must have a high degree of workmanship using normal masonry practices and hand tools. Winners of the contest will take home thousands in cash and prizes!

SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®

12:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Who is the nation's best bricklayer? The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® competition at the World of Masonry in Las Vegas will answer the question. Twenty teams consisting of a journeyman mason and a tender will compete in the brick laying competition with the goal of laying as many brick as possible in one hour. The judges will check each mason's wall for workmanship and production to determine who will make it to the winner's circle.

If you weren’t able to make it to Las Vegas, you can still catch all the action live and online at www.specmixbricklayer500.com.
Using Respirators for Silica Exposure
July 2025

Some in the masonry industry have expressed interest in respirator use as protection from harmful exposure to silica. This topic is of paramount importance due to its impact on our workers and the serious health effects of silica exposure. For those new t

From Bikes to Buildings: The Importance of Embracing Rainscreen Wall Designs and the New Building Codes.
July 2025

Have you ever been asked to do a project over the course of your lifetime? For example, when my kids were little, my wife asked me to assemble their bicycles. So, I opened the box, dumped out the contents, and cast aside whatever I thought was unnecessary

Laying the Foundation for Growth: Concrete Masonry Checkoff Unveils Five-Year Vision for Industry
July 2025

The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (CMC) put the finishing touches on an ambitious five-year vision for the industry, targeting a 20% increase in market share, driven by increased demand for concrete masonry products. “This is about building exquisite, enduri

Five of the Seven Chimneys Have Been Saved: Project Chimney Update
July 2025

In the wake of the devastating January wildfires that swept through Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades, a remarkable preservation effort is underway, spearheaded by Project Chimney, an initiative led by Evan Hall, founding director of the non-profit House Mu