Craven College Lecturer Judges International Competition

Ian Maltby one of our Bricklaying Lecturers recently took his expertise and experience to judge in the finals of Super Trowel, the ultimate bricklaying competition.

Launched to celebrate the craftsmanship, speed, and precision of bricklayers, the UK’s fastest and most skilled bricklayers come together at the competition to showcase their talents. With events from laying the most bricks in record time to perfecting the finer details of a wall, the prestigious event promotes fierce competition!

Super Trowel promises exciting challenges and top-tier prizes, but more than that it gives the bricklaying community the chance to come together to celebrate and inspire whilst making those all-important industry connections.

Applications to judge in the final were made on the Brickwork Tutors Toolbox (BTTB), a freely available resource available to empower bricklaying tutors and students created by Super Trowel Head Judge Peter Roberts. Ian applied and was accepted to judge at the Northern Regional Heat at York College, and from there was asked to judge in the national final.

The 2025 final took place at Stoneleigh Park in Kenilworth on 13 and 14 August and was a packed weekend full of skill and information.

Ian was one of twenty-one other judges in the Main Arena. As part of the judging process a marking criterion must be met with faults marked by deductions from their overall brick count.

Competitors had just one hour to lay as many bricks as possible, with the top English competitor Charlie Collison laying an incredible 903 bricks and finishing second in the competition. Ian came home with his competition shirt for one of our apprentices! After an impressive competitive career, Charlie has now retired from competitions to focus on his home and work life.

Ian was judging the lane of bricklayer Tom Humphrey, who finished in 3^rd place and is heading out to Las Vegas from 19 to 20 January to compete in Spec Mix, the World Championship Event at World of Concrete.

Ian Maltby, Lecturer in Bricklaying said, “It was an amazing experience to be in the Main Arena with 12 top bricklayers from the UK, 1 from Australia and the current US Spec Mix Champion Cole Stamper, there were an amazing 3500 people in the arena to watch the main event!”