Competitive bricklaying has its share of repeat contenders, and a Wausau, Wisconsin, mason contractor is adding to that reputation again.
Aaron Kowalski and Michael Schlund of Kowalski Masonry recently qualified for their seventh appearance at the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 in Las Vegas. The duo has already won the national title twice, and they will be back in January with a shot at a third.
Schlund said the idea of competing clicked after a trip to Las Vegas in 2015 to watch a friend from Fergis Masonry in Point. After seeing the pace and pressure up close, he decided to jump in the next year, and the partnership with Kowalski took off from there.
For contractors who have never seen the event, the format is part production sprint and part quality test. Before the timed portion begins, competitors build “starter courses,” which Schlund described as two courses of block and one course of brick. Then the clock starts for one hour of laying as many bricks as possible, followed by 20 minutes to tool and brush the wall before judging.
That setup mirrors what mason contractors deal with on real jobsites every week. The work has to move, the bond and head joints still have to look right, and finishing time is never unlimited. It also shows why teamwork matters. Kowalski and Schlund did not get to this point overnight, and the repeat trips suggest a routine they can execute under pressure.
Read the full, original article from WAOW here.