To see the world’s best masons competing for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, there’s only one place to be, it’s Masonry Madness held during the World of Concrete. In a town that is known for sending home more losers than winners, on Jan. 22 Masonry Madness sent home many happy masons with smiles on their faces, money in their pockets, and “World’s Best” titles attached to their names.
SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 NATIONAL
A crowd favorite, this event has brought many firsts over its 12-year history and 2014 was no different. For the first time, the top two awards of the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 were claimed by a father-daughter team who had the winning hand that put them behind the wheel of the grand prize, a new 2014 Ford F-250 4x4 Crew Cab pick-up, $10,000 in cash, and a truckload of sponsor prizes. Mason Jerry Goodman with Goodman Masonry of Blythewood, S.C., laid 644 brick with the help of his mason tender daughter Heidi Albea, who won the titles “World’s Best Bricklayer” and “Top Craftsman.” They beat 19 other qualified masonry teams from all over North America.
When the trowels went down, 25 experienced masonry judges gave Goodman’s wall zero brick deductions and put him and his daughter at the top of the winner’s podium and in the record book.
The second place winner was Steve Cleveland, 39, with Midwest Masonry, Mundelein, Ill., who laid 604 brick without any deductions. Cleveland won $4,000 cash, a STIHL-TS 420 Cutquik cut-off machine, and other sponsor prizes. Cleveland, a veteran competitor and winner of the 2013 SPEC MIX Top Craftsman award, was paired with mason tender Sedat Supurgeci.
The third place winner was 44-year-old, Filipe Orfao from Cambridge, Ontario, who is with the Res Group of Companies, Cookstown, Ontario. The veteran competitor laid 588 brick and his mason tender was his brother Jose Orfao. He won $3,000 in cash, a $700 STIHL gift certificate, and other sponsor prizes.
MCAA’s FASTEST TROWEL ON THE BLOCK
In this top blocklayer smackdown, masons pushed their skills and endurance to the limit for 20 grueling minutes of pure excitement. The event consisted of 18 teams that include one mason and two mason tenders functioning like a well-oiled machine.
First place: Mason Irvin Willoughby of Pascal Robertson Masonry Inc., Sorrento, Fla., laid126 block that earned him $8,000 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
Second place: Mason Kris Belinte, of Native American Bricklayers, Chandler, Ariz., laid 115 block and won $2,500 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
Third place: Mason Pascal Robertson, with Pascal Robertson Masonry Inc., Sorrento, Fla., with 118 block laid, won $1,500 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER
The world’s top mason tenders competed for the fastest time setting up their SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 workstations. Thousands of spectators watched as mason tenders hauled tons of brick, block, equipment, and mortar to beat their peers and take home the cash and prizes. The Toughest Tender winner was Tony Shelton, of Creative Masonry, Jonesborough, Tenn., with a time of 17 minutes, 15 seconds. Shelton won the $2,500 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
MCAA’s MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE
The crowd saw top bricklayer apprentices in their first, second, and third year of training showcase their skills as they stepped-up their game in this three-hour bricklaying competition. The exciting competition spotlights our industry’s finest young masons and focuses attention on careers in the masonry industry.
First Year Apprentice: Mason apprentice Kelton McGee of McGee Brothers Inc., Monroe, N.C., took first place in 1st year to win $750 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
Second Year Apprentice: Mason apprentice Raymond Wilk, District Council Training Center Inc., Addison, Ill., took first place in 2nd year to win $750 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.
Third Year Apprentice: Mason apprentice Kale Hallman, of McGee Brothers Inc., Monroe, N.C., took first place in 3rd year to win $750 in cash and additional sponsor prizes.