April 2012: 2012 Bricklayer 500
Words: Dan Kamys
2012 BRICKLAYER 500
By Jeff Farmakes
The 2012 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National bricklaying championship decides the “World’s Best Bricklayer” each year. In January, during the 2012 World of Concrete/World of Masonry trade show in Las Vegas, Missouri-based mason Leif Reints took first place overall, with 583 bricks laid in 60 minutes.
The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National is a bricklaying competition comprised of the best bricklayers in the world. Twenty-one teams made up of a mason and mason tender compete to lay the most bricks, while meeting strictly defined quality standards. The competition has the largest winner’s purse of any masonry competition, with competitors competing for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes before a crowd of 3,000 fans.
First-place winner Leif Reints from Neosho, Mo., was declared World’s Best Bricklayer.
The first-place winner was Leif Reints, age 31, a mason with Reints Masonry in Neosho, Mo. Reints was declared ”World’s Best Bricklayer,” with an adjusted total of 583. He won the grand prize of a 2012 Ford F-250, XLT SuperDuty, CrewCab, 4 x 4 truck, along with $5,000 in cash, a STIHL TS 420 A-EWC Cutquik cut-off machine, and thousands of dollars worth of sponsor prizes. Reints’ mason tender was Gustavo Soriano, also with Reints Masonry.
Mason Scott Tuttle, 36, of Quik Trowell Masonry in Clearfield, Utah, won the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 TOP CRAFTSMAN award. Tuttle laid an adjusted total 474 bricks. The combined brick count and quality of his wall were judged “most sellable.” Tuttle’s tender was Brian Tuttle of Clearfield, Utah. As the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN, Scott Tuttle won $5,000 in cash, a Multiquip EM120S mixer, a STIHL TS 420 A-EWC Cutquik cut-off machine and thousands of dollars worth of sponsor prizes.
Justin Jakubisin from Hudson, Ohio, was the third-place overall winner.
The second-place overall winner was mason Filipe Orfao, 42, with Squire Masonry in Cookstown, Ontario. Orfao laid 547 bricks, and his tender was Manuel Oliveira. Orfao won $4,000 cash and sponsor prizes.
The third-place overall winner was mason Justin Jakubisin, 31, with Giambrone Masonry in Hudson, Ohio. Jakubisin laid 544 bricks and won $3,000 in cash and sponsor prizes. His tender was Aaron Cooke of Brunswick Hills, Ohio.
A group of highly qualified judges assess the work of the masons.
The SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER winner was Nick Miller, 26, with Exteriors Plus in Jefferson, Wis. Miller won $2,500 in cash and sponsor prizes. In this event, the tenders race the clock to set up a predefined work area for the mason. Miller’s winning time was 17:52 minutes.
Each mason has 60 minutes to complete a 26-foot, eight-inch, double-wythe brick wall. The competition has four awards. First, second and third place are based on the highest brick count meeting the quality standards. The fourth award, the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN, is judged the most sellable wall with the most bricks. The walls are closely evaluated by 27 masonry officials averaging 20 years of bricklaying experience. For more information, visit www.specmixbricklayer500.com.
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