Carlos Zamudio Wins First Place at the 2022 Oklahoma BL500 Regional Event!

Carlos Zamudio claims the “Best Bricklayer & Top Craftsman” titles!

Paul’s Valley, OK – mason Carlos Zamudio and mason tender Diego De Lara with CIA Masonry take the cake at the Oklahoma regional event with a 590-brick count. Their work earned them the “Best Bricklayer” title, winning $600 and a 4-foot Stabila level. In addition, their perfect, no-deduction wall, put another $500 in their pockets. Most importantly, the Zamudio – De Lara team won themselves two plane tickets to compete at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship, taking place in Las Vegas at the World of Concrete Tradeshow, January 18th, 2023. 

Across North America throughout the year, hundreds of teams will compete at one of the 22 regional events. They have one chance to prove they have what it takes to claim their tickets to compete at the World Championship Event. They can contend at one regional event, one time, and must obtain the first-place position to snag their spot to battle at what is known as the Super Bowl of Masonry. Each team is given 60-minutes and a 26-foot-wide setting to build the tallest brick wall with the least amount of craftsmanship errors. Teams consist of one mason and one mason tender, and those who qualify for Vegas will wrangle to win part of $125,000 in cash and prizes, such as a new Ford F-250 4×4 Truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Essick Pro12 mortar mixer, and of course the title of “World’s Best Bricklayer.” 

The 2023 World Championship will be the second time that Zamudio will compete in Vegas. Zamudio says he is feeling awesome after he won the Oklahoma regional event. “I have won once before, but this time I did much better, and I was proud of myself,” says Zamudio. He and his mason tender De Lara worked as a team the last time they competed in Vegas and will again for the 2023 Championship. Zamudio says he is busy these days due to the company he works for, but he knows he will make time to practice. “I don’t know if I can lay more than 700 bricks, but in practice, my best number is 727. It is different in the competition, a lot of people around you and a lot of pressure; I think I will lay around 640, but I know it will be perfect!” states Zamudio. He is going for the “Top Craftsman” title and says he cares more about a clean wall than having the most bricks laid. Zamudio says only his mason tender and wife will be joining him in Vegas this year, and he wants to thank Spec Mix for the opportunity to compete. “I hope they enjoy having me at the competition,” says Zamudio. 

Second place at the BL500 regional in Oklahoma went to mason Leif Reints and mason tender Calvin Bean with Reints Masonry. This team had a final brick count of 301, winning them $400 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. Not far behind in third place was mason Amalio Ortiz and mason tender Daniel Hernandez with DMG Masonry, winning $300 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. 

During the SMBL500 regional, the JR. BL500 took place. The JR. BL500 is a shortened rendition of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 competition. Here, students and apprentices demonstrate their masonry skills. With 20-minutes on the clock, these competitors will lay as many bricks as they can with the fewest craftsmanship errors possible. The first-place winner for the JR. BL500 was mason David Taylor with CIA Masonry, with a final brick count of 132. Taylor earned himself $100, an etched Marshalltown trowel, and a 4-foot Stabila Level. Close behind in second was mason Connor Murphy with R.B. Weatherman masonry, who laid 118 bricks, winning him $50 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. Lastly, in third place was mason Anthony Yahola with R.B Weatherman Masonry who laid 80 bricks, winning him $50 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. 

Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the Junior SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. This year of the 22 Regional Series competitions, 12 will also hold Junior BRICKLAYER 500 contests that give high school and masonry apprentices the chance to compete for their state title. The program has proven remarkably successful and highly supported by the Mason Contractors Association of America, school administrators and numerous masonry supply manufacturers and dealers. To learn more, visit https://www.specmix.com/jr-spec-mix-bricklayer-500/.

If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 21st annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place on January 18th, 2023, at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas; the Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot. At this competition, you will see 26 world-class masons lay it all on the line to claim their portion of the total purse valued at more than $125,000. Prizes include: a new Ford F-250 4×4 Super Duty truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Multiquip Pro 12 Mortar Mixer, and other prizes from Hilti, IQ Power Tools, Stabila, Marshalltown, STIHL, Blaklader Workwear, and Belden Brick.

If you have any questions, or would like to set up an interview with any of the competitors, please contact Brian Carney at 612-859-4505 or by email at Brian.Carney@specmix.com

SPEC MIX is your North American source for high quality, factory produced cement-based building materials that are preblended for the construction industry. SPEC MIX products are precisely engineered to meet ASTM and building code requirements. Projects designed for the installation of brick, CMU, stone, stucco or building repair and restoration, SPEC MIX offers a full line of products packaged in 80 & 3,000-pound bags produced with state-of-the-art batching equipment to ensure quality and consistency from start to finish. For optimal jobsite efficiency, safety, and productivity, we provide contractors with numerous silo material mixing systems that maximize a contractor’s cost savings, safety and profitability. For more information, visit www.specmix.com.

2022 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 OKLAHOMA REGIONAL RESULTS

2022 JUNIOR SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 OKLAHOMA REGIONAL RESULTS