WEST JORDAN, Utah — Dubbed as the “Super Bowl of Masonry” the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500, a bricklaying competition took place in West Jordan on Friday.
Eight teams comprised of two people each, a bricklayer and a tender (an assistant) competed to be crowned Utah’s best bricklayer. The task: To lay as many bricks as possible in one hour and demonstrate a visually appealing build.
“It's like anything, we want volume, but we want quality” Said Don Sackett, general manager of Interstate Bricks. “So they're judged on quality and volume.”
The competition, which has been around for over 20 years, is hosted by interstate Bricks, a local company that has been making and distributing bricks for over a 100 years and sponsored by company SPEC MIX. The competition has 20 regional sites throughout the country to determine which Mason is the best in each state.
The winners of this regional competition will represent Utah in the 2025 World Championships in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete trade show.
According to contestant Jose Espinosa, two things are needed for the kind of precision necessary to win the competition.
“I believe you have to have a good eye and a steady hand,” he said. “That’s what lets you know your wall is standing.”
For South Ogden resident, Brian Tuttle, a former world championship winner, the competition is a reminder of the value and importance of the trade. Tuttle and his brother took home this year’s regional championship.
“It's an amazing trade,” Tuttle said. “Because what we build lasts a lifetime. I mean, we're talking 100 to 150 years. And you drive by and see the all the projects that you built that stand for that long. It's just a very satisfying and rewarding job.”
