Ryan Blackmar wins the Northeast’s SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Regional Competition!

Ryan Blackmar claims “Northeast’s Best Bricklayer” title.

 On Thursday, September 11^th, 2025, in Succasunna, NJ mason Ryan Blackmar and tender Jamie Talbot Jr. with Dexter Masonry took first-place and won Top Craftsman at the SMBL500 Northeast Regional event. Now they will move forward to compete in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the World of Concrete Tradeshow!

 Laying 319 bricks in 60 minutes, the duo topped the competition with an impressive 78-brick margin above the second-place competitors. This team’s skills and speed won them the “Northeast’s Best Bricklayer” award as well as the Top Craftsman award for a combined total of $3,200 in prize money while securing their tickets to Vegas.

 The 2025 Regional Series includes 22 events throughout the United States and Canada. To qualify for the SMBL500 event in Las Vegas, teams will compete at one of the 22 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 Chevrolet Silverado 4 x 4 Truck, Kubota RTV, an Essick Pro12 mixer, and of course, the title, “World’s Best Bricklayer.”

Second Place went to mason Connor Murphy and Tender Johnny Langeraap with Wal Masonry with 241 bricks laid. The team won $900 for second place. In third place at the Northeast Regional, was mason Aron Filion and tender Stephen Martell with Cantarella & Son, Inc. This team finished with a 121-brick count, winning $800 in cash for their prize.

 The Winner of the JR. Bricklayer event was mason Micah Beausoleil and tender Vincent Ryan with Local 1 CT with a brick count of 110! Just 11 bricks shy of what our 3^rd place in the Journeymen competition laid! Micah won $200 for his victory, showing promise if he chooses a future in the trade. The JR. Bricklayer event is for high school students and apprentices pursuing a career in masonry. The JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® competitions give masonry’s up and coming bricklayers a chance to showcase their drive and skills against their peers.

 Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. In 2025, 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/.

 2026 World Championship: If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 24th annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place in January 2026, 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 $150,000.

2025 JOURNEYMEN SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 NORTHEAST REGIONAL RESULTS