David Chavez wins the South Texas Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 Regional Event!

David Chavez claims the “South Texas Best Bricklayer” and “Top Craftsman” titles!

On November 2nd, 2023, the South Texas SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® regional competition took place. Masons and tenders from across the Southern side of the Lone Star state picked up their trowels to compete for the “South Texas Best Bricklayer” title. The 60-minute competition took place at Best Block in Converse, Texas, in the late morning. David Chavez and his tender Guadalupe Hernandez with Ranch Masonry out of Houston, Texas, claimed first place, with their overwhelming brick count of 672. Along with the South Texas Best Bricklayer title, this duo had the perfect wall, winning them the Top Craftsman award. The Top Craftsman title is given to the team that has the ‘most-sellable’ wall, meaning zero-deductions. For their performance, this team won a combined total of $900, a 2-foot Stabila Level, and a Marshalltown Tool Bag. In addition to the cash and prizes, they will be moving forward to the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championships. The national competition will take place on January 24th, 2024, at the World of Concrete Tradeshow, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The 2023 Regional Series includes 23 events throughout the United States and Canada. To qualify for the SMBL500 event in Las Vegas, teams will compete at one of the 23 individual regionals and battle for first place to secure their spot in the national competition. The teams consist of one mason and one tender; working on a 26-foot-wide wall, they have 60 minutes to lay as much brick as possible with the fewest craftsmanship errors. These teams are only allowed to compete once at one regional event throughout the year, and each duo that wins first place will advance to what is known as the “Superbowl of Masonry.” At the World Championship, they will compete to win part of $125,000 in cash in prizes, including a Kubota RTV-X1140, Essick Pro12 mixer, and of course, the title, “World’s Best Bricklayer.”

The second-place team at the South Texas competition was Jacob Ramirez and Omar Hernandez with A&J Masonry. This team laid 631 bricks in 60 minutes, winning them $300, a 2-foot Stabila Level, and a Marshalltown Tool Bag. In third place was Now Hidalgo, and Jose Juan Castillo with A&J Masonry. This team laid 512 bricks in 60 minutes, winning them $200, a Marshalltown Tool Bag, and a 2-foot Stabila Level. 

Accompanied by the South Texas Regional event was the JR. BL500 competition. This contest is a shortened rendition of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500, where students and masonry apprentices display their skills for the chance to win cash and prizes! These competitors battle for the “JR BRICKLAYER 500 CHAMPION” title. At the South Texas event, there was a high school level and an apprentice level competition. In the high school division, the first-place winner was Pablo Vargas with Grand Prairie High School, he laid 66 bricks in 20 minutes. For his efforts, he won $100, a Stabila Level, and a Marshalltown Trowel. In the apprentice division, the first-place winner was Victoria Garcia with TSTC, she laid an impressive 120 bricks in 20 minutes! 

Disclosures:

In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. In 2024, of the 22 Regional Series competitions, 20 will also hold a JR. BRICKLAYER 500 contest to allow high schoolers and masonry apprentices to compete for top honors and prizes. 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/.

2025 World Championship: If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 23rd annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place in January 2025, at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot. At this competition, world-class masons lay it all on the line to claim their portion of the total purse valued at more than $125,000.

2023 JOURNEYMEN SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL RESULTS

2023 JUNIOR SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL RESULTS – APPRENTICE CLASS