A real “rock star” in the World of Concrete

“Three, two, one. Let’s lay the bricks!”

The annual SpecMix Bricklayer 500 in Las Vegas is packed with wall-to-wall action. In the main event, masons are given one hour to lay as many bricks as possible. It is a tournament full of trials and tribulations. And did you know? It might be better to get it excited.

In the event’s highlight reel, VoiceOver states, “This is the fastest, most intense show in Las Vegas, and the fans who pack the area love the action! This is the Super Bowl of masons!” .

If that’s true, competitor Fred Campbell could be the Tom Brady of stonemasons, the elder statesman who has won the contest the most.

“Am I the only one who can beat me?” Campbell said.

If the bricks are not level or the thickness of the mortar is not exactly correct, the judge can deduct it from the overall total. And there’s a lot of money at stake. Contestants are up for more than $125,000 in cash and prizes such as brand new trucks, but they usually do this kind of work without the cheering of hundreds of screaming fans.

“It’s amazing. It’s so cool. It’s hard to describe,” said foreman Michael Schlund, a Wisconsin native, of the returning champion. “I mean, I was happy to win last year, but I was just taking it all in.”

It’s definitely a lot to take in, especially since this bricklaying extravaganza is just a small part of a much larger world. Last month, 60,000 people descended on Las Vegas for the World of Concrete competition, which brought together masons from 120 countries in more than 700,000 square feet of exhibit space and approximately 1,400 manufacturers.

“World of Concrete is the only event in the entire world dedicated solely to the concrete and masonry industry, right?” said Kevin Thornton, senior vice president of Informa Markets, which organizes the 50th annual event.

“It’s a festival,” Thornton explains. “This is Comic Con for concrete guys. It’s like a sex toy store for them.”

There are demonstrations to watch, all kinds of drills to play with, and concrete thrones to sit on. People make concrete art and ride electric trowels while cutting rebar and closing deals. There are specific courses and high-tech components, including 3D pricing, simulated truck driving, virtual factory tours, and virtual tool training.

This year, there was even love in the air as James and Patricia Estrada got married in front of the convention center.

“Concrete has been my life,” James Estrada said at the ceremony. “I’ve been married to Concrete for most of her life. Now we have a threesome going on: me, Concrete, and Patricia.”

But it’s hard to imagine anyone who loves concrete more than Oklahoma State University professor Tyler Ray, who runs a YouTube channel where he shares his passion for concrete.

“My name is Tyler Ray, and I’m a concrete freak,” he says in one YouTube video. “Thank you for watching this video. Please like, subscribe, and leave a comment.

At the tournament, Ray will have the opportunity to meet with fans.

“This is my buddy, baby,” Ray says. “They’re here because they want to get better. They want to find the latest tools, the latest tricks, the latest materials, the latest knowledge.”

This year, the focus was on how to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint.

“Concrete is so widely used that it has a fairly large impact on global carbon emissions,” Ray said, adding, “Concrete is the second most used commodity on the planet. ” he points out.

The first is water, he continued, “because water is in concrete, baby.”

Returning to Masonry Madness, Schlund maintained his title as top bricklayer by just 22 bricks over Fred Campbell. ”He probably knows how to build it.

Later today, another high-stakes contest will be held a few miles down the Las Vegas Strip. And while much has been made about Allegiant Stadium’s retractable field, any true concrete fanatic would want you to point out the underrated material underneath. The Super Bowl is played on concrete.

Produced by David Rothman. Edited by Mike Levine.