These Ladies Were Ready for the Challenge.
Before the start of the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500, female tenders Heidi Albea (left) and Lynette Darby (far right) spent a few minutes with event emcee Tom Clark to discuss their strategy for the competition and their hope that more women take up the masonry trade.
to build Masonry Madness Day
From coast to coast, SPEC MIX Mudslingers travel to Las Vegas to convert its Convention Center Gold Lot from a desolate sheet of asphalt into the Masonry Madness Day competition arena that spans nearly 100,000 square feet. Although not all of the 45 Mudslingers deployed that day are in the picture, without question these SPEC MIX Product Representatives are the backbone of the event.
It's a family affair with the Campbell's
As soon as it was announced to the world that Fred Campbell won the title "World's Best Bricklayer", the entire Campbell family charged the winner's circle to hug and squeeze Fred and his tender and long-time buddy, Tony Shelton. Pictured above in their new FORD F250 4x4 truck are the happy winners and their kids all sporting big smiles.
The Campbell family not only drove across country in two, 12-passenger vans from Kingsport, TN to see Fred Campbell compete, they also brought their banners that were designed, developed and proudly hung by the kids. The promotional plan worked as Fred took first place and will return to Las Vegas in 2014 to defend his title.
SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN!
Steve Cleveland, age 38, of Midwest Masonry, located in Mundelein, Indiana, took home the title of SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN. Steve laid 530 brick. The combined brick count and quality of his wall was judged the, "most sellable." Steve won $5,000 in cash, a Multiquip PRO12 mixer, a STIHL GS 461 Rock Boss Concrete Cutter and thousands in sponsor prizes. Steve's mason tender was William R Hill III, from Hobart, Indiana.
2013 was the 11th Annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 which drew over 5,000 spectators during the course of the event. This exciting gathering brings qualifying masons from across the US and Canada, as well as masons from Australia and the UK. Every year it features the best competing masons and the latest in masonry equipment and services displayed by the Event sponsors, all broadcast LIVE to thousands of viewers across the globe.
As singer Felice Garcia, currently starring in Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah's, Las Vegas, sang the National Anthem, "The Star Spangle Banner," she was accompanied by four U.S. Air Force Honor Guard in full service dress from the Nellis Air Force Base. The honor guard members performed a flag raising ceremony to kick off the 2013 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National, a fitting tribute to the masons travelling from across the country to compete.
2013 SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER®
Adrian Tena, mason tender for David Puga, both of G&G Enterprises in Phoenix, AZ, won the 2013 SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER award for setting up the fastest pre-defined work area in 20:40 minutes. This award brought him $2,500 in cash and over $1,000 in sponsor prizes-not a bad payday for 20 minutes of hard labor. This award honors the mason tender as a key team member of the masonry team.
New event sponsor, IQ Power Tools, showed off their new iQ 912 power cutter. The Clean-Cut concrete and masonry power cutter with fully integrated vacuum and filter system allows you to dry cut without water and without dust, keeping your job site cleaner and safer. This thing is awesome!
Amateur Bricklaying Competition
Dean and Derek, hosts of DIY's Rock Solid and Indoors Out, dropped by the Gold Lot arena to play judge for the Second Annual Boral Brick Amateur Bricklaying Competition during the 2013 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500. The pair lended their expertise and chose Cathy Bellenger of Sydney, Australia as the winner of the competition.
Event Emcee's Tom Clark and Brian Carney test out the t-shirt cannon. Always a crowd favorite, over 400 sponsor t-shirts were tossed (or shot!) into a crowd of over 5,000 spectators this year!
While Fred Campbell may have took top honors, a member of his cheering crew, Zachary Shelton (tender Tony's son), took home $250 to Smith & Wollensky's of Las Vegas. Zack launched a football over 20' in the air to land in the bed of a brand new F-250 Ford truck, perched on top of a HydroMobile M-Series mast climbing scaffold. We hear rumors that the whole crew shared the prize at a celebratory dinner Wednesday night!
