2 place third in ‘Super Bowl of Masonry’

Two Sparta residents won third place in a brick-laying competition, the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500, known as the “Super Bowl of Masonry.”

Johnny Langeraap and Mike McCarrick took part in the competition at the World of Concrete, an annual trade show for the commercial construction industry, in Las Vegas in January.

Langeraap laid 737 bricks for a 26-foot-wide wall with one deduction for a craftsmanship error, and McCarrick served as his tender, or mason’s helper.

“It’s a competition where you get one hour to lay as many bricks as you can,” said Langeraap, who comes from a family of masons.

Regional competitions are held throughout the United States and Canada. The winners of those go to Las Vegas “to compete against all the other regional winners and the past champion and top craftsman,” he said.

Langeraap won first place at the Northeast regional event last September. It was his third regional win.

He said he was surprised when he won third place in the national competition.

“I had it in my head that I probably wasn’t going to place because I had that brick deduction and there were probably six or seven other walls that had over the 700 number. Once you hit that 700s, you’re in closer contention for being able to win it out there,” he said.

About 10 years ago, Langeraap competed in the Northeast regional event in his home supply yard, Sparta Block, which became Central Supply.

“So I wound up doing it, and I put in my head that I was going to win this one day,” he said. “The first year we did it, it was actually my cousin that was the mason and I was the laborer. He wound up coming in third the first time.

“The following year, we flip-flopped. I laid a huge amount of bricks, but I had a bunch of brick deductions so I was knocked out for placing. I did that a couple more years and then I switched labors because my cousin said, ‘Ah, we’re never going to win this thing.’

“So then, I did it with one of my best friends. We went to Rhode Island for the competition.”

Langeraap aimed to win the title of “top craftsman,” when someone creates “the most sellable wall,” he said. “I slowed myself down. I laid less bricks than I normally did. But I had every single one perfect. And wound up coming in first place as well. And that got us the trip to Las Vegas.”

This year was his third time competing in Las Vegas.

The first year he went was 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, and the competition was held in June.

“So it was about 100 degrees while we were laying bricks. It was very hot, and I actually did decent out there. I came in fifth. The second time was uneventful, a couple brick deductions. This last time I went out there, each time I do a competition I change a little something to try to increase my amount of bricks and to make them nicer,” he said.

Role of tender

McCarrick described the tender’s role in the competition. “I basically feed him bricks, bring him the mortar, make sure the work area is clean. I’m his helper. During the competition, I’m not allowed to lay any brick.”

On his own, McCarrick competed in the “toughest tender competition before the bricklayers,” he said. “This was my first time ever doing it in Vegas and I came in second. I missed first place by four seconds. The winner was 15 minutes and 10 seconds, and I was 15 minutes and 14 seconds.”

He plans to continue being a tender for Langeraap in competitions.

The two are childhood friends. “We’ve been good friends since the sandbox,” said McCarrick.

They both have a history with construction.

Langeraap started masonry with his father when he was 13 years old. “He ran his own business since the ’70s until he passed away,” he said.

His uncle and two cousins are also masons. “You could say it’s a family thing.”

McCarrick has a similar background. “I come from a hard-working blue-collar family. My dad was in construction. I’ve been doing stuff with him since I was about 13 and still working heavy construction til today. I work in the heavy labors’ union, and I have my own masonry business.”

Langeraap owns Langeraap Masonry while McCarrick owns McCarrick Contracting.

Langeraap said the competition will inspire younger people to become masons.

“When I was younger, there was a ton of younger guys and, of course, you have the old-school masons. It seemed as I grew, that younger generation stayed at my age. So what I think this competition is doing is actually helping bring in the younger generation, and I see it in my own family.

“My youngest son wants to do it and then I got a nephew that’s down in North Carolina who is becoming a mason because he’s seeing me do these competitions.”