SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500

This year's overall winner, Ray Robinson, age 44, a mason with J.A.M. Construction, Gainesville, Florida, was declared "World's Best Bricklayer," at the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500,® with a 697 brick performance laid in just sixty minutes. Ray is the first mason to represent Florida at the event and it was his 1st time competing. Ray won the grand prize of a new 2011 Ford F-250, XLT, V8, Super Duty, 4 x 4 truck, $5,000 in cash and thousands in sponsor prizes.

Ray Robinson holds the Champion's trophy high over the winning wall as his mason tender, Lynette Darby, breaks into a smile. This team representing Florida provided the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® National with some firsts. They placed first overall in the National. They were the first team to win a Regional competition in Florida, and the first to represent Florida at the National. Lynette is the first woman to compete on the National level and the first to be a member of a winning team.

A great view of the largest masonry competition in the world. This is the ninth year the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 has been held. This exciting gathering brings qualifying masons from states such as Ohio, California, Wisconsin, Iowa, Utah, Kentucky, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina, the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, and Ontario, and a mason from London, England. Every year it features the best competing masons and the very latest in masonry equipment and services displayed by the Event sponsors.

Dave Moyle, mason, age 42, with Moyle Masonry, Wadena, Iowa, won 3rd place overall with 625 brick. Dave also earned the judges' SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN award. This is just the second time at the National level that a mason has taken two spots in the winner's circle in the same year. Only the legendary Bill Morrisette, back in 2007 has equaled this double win. This is Dave's second time taking the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN award; he was a winner of this award back in 2009. Pat Pope was Dave's mason tender.

Charles "Jeff" Burton, a 49 year old mason with Miter Masonry Construction, Cincinnati, Ohio came in second overall. Jeff and his son, mason tender Raymond Burton, laid 671 brick. Here you see Jeff crack a smile with event MC Tom Clark and SPEC MIX VP, Brian Carney, as he receives his check and trophy. It's a tribute to Jeff's sportsmanship that he can still smile after missing the first place Ford F250 Super Duty truck by only 27 brick.

Raymond Burton, mason tender for second place winner Charles ''Jeff'' Burton, both with Miter Masonry Construction, Cincinnati, Ohio won the 2011 SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER award for setting up the fastest pre-defined work area in 20:20:56 minutes. This award brought him $2,500 in cash and hundreds in sponsor prizes. This award honors the mason tender as a key team member of the masonry team. Raymond is Jeff's son, proof of the continuing tradition of in the trade of handing down masonry skill to the next generation.

Judges of the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National take their jobs very seriously. With an average of over 20-years masonry trade experience, these professionals come from all over North America to judge at this event. There are in fact, more judges than there are competing masons at the National. Each mason must meet the rules of the competition exactly or deductions are made from the total brick count.

As Elvis looked on from above, little Madison Smith, age 6, was selected to sing the National Anthem, ''The Star Spangle Banner'' at the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National. She sang it in front of the grand prize, a loaded Ford F250 Super Duty Truck. The anthem, with its many octave changes, has given many professional singers a challenge to sing it correctly. Madison knocked it out of the park, she even sang it a cappella (without instrumentation), and handled it with surprising power and ease for her diminutive size. Elvis was smiling.

Bosch is a new SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 sponsor for 2011. Here audience members get their chance during the judging hour to take the latest Bosch masonry drills for a test drive while winning cash prizes. Many of the event cosponsors provide games and demonstrations with audience participation providing education, entertainment and fun. Even event MC Tom Clark (Right) can't keep his hands off the fun.

The arena audience was treated to an unbelievable show of power and skill by Erin LaVoie, age 28, the Guinness World Record holder for most Christmas trees chopped down in two minutes. Her world record of 27 trees remains unbroken. She also is 2002 Rookie of the Year and IronJill World Champion in 2003 and 2004. She is the current World Champion in the Underhand Chop. Like our masons, she demonstrated the deceptive power of a simple tool, in the hands of an expert can produce unbelievable results.

A member of the U.S. Air Forces' Masons in the Military, attending the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National, decided to take the Johnson Level challenge to rack up as many chin ups possible on a specially built station featuring a Johnson Level as the cross bar. Several of his crew members took a crack at placing, and these where no small guys, some civilians joined in weighing as much as 270 lbs (right), but the winning performance went to the military mason (left) with a count of 22. These are some tough guys, taking on a tough level.

The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® National uniquely demonstrates the importance of family in the masonry trade every year. Tennessee mason Fred Campbell and his mason tender Tony Shelton, with Lime Stone Masonry of Kingsport, Tennessee, roll to Vegas in style with their deluxe 55 seat, Setra Mortar Coach from Green Coach Charters, Greenville, Tennessee. Their own orange shirted pit crew shows unlike many professions, the trade of masonry is still actively handing down traditions and masonry skills to a younger generation of bricklayers.