GOLD HILL – The Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 North Carolina Regional Series event is set to kick off at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ben Ketchie Park, located at 16815 Old Beatty Ford Road.

The competition is designed to test the speed, skill and stamina of participants by challenging them to build the largest and best 26-foot-long brick wall with as few errors as possible in one hour.

The winning team will be determined by a panel of judges, who will subtract for any mistakes from the total number of bricks laid on the wall. The mason with the highest brick count at the end of judging will be named North Carolina’s Best Bricklayer.

Dubbed by many in the industry as the “Super Bowl of Masonry,” 24 cities across North America will play host to the best masons in their areas. One mason and tender team per region will qualify for a chance to compete for the title of World’s Best Bricklayer at the World Championship on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete expo.

Students are invited to the largest masonry education day in the U.S. and will compete in the Junior Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 Spec Mix.

The North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association has invited masonry students from 26 high schools and technical schools across the Carolinas to participate in a day designed to introduce them to the industry.

An estimated 600 students will have a chance to meet with vendors and contractors, providing them a networking opportunity.

For more information, visit the North Carolina Regional web page at specmix.com/2019-carolina-regional/.