Dale Wherton, a former bricklayer from Stoke-on-Trent, has won the Super Trowel, a high-profile bricklaying contest that measures speed and skill under pressure.
Wherton laid 859 bricks in one hour to take the title at an event held in Hertfordshire. The win secures him a place on a bigger stage next year: the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 competition in Las Vegas in January, where he will compete against other champions from around the world.
Wherton now lives in Derby and works as a brickwork tutor. Before teaching, he spent 20 years working in bricklaying as a contractor, including seven years in Australia.
He traces his start in the trade back to his time at Burslem College, now a campus of Stoke-on-Trent College. Wherton said his passion clicked on day one when he first held a trowel, and he credits lecturer Brian Cooper for fueling that interest and for telling him about the Las Vegas event.
Years after leaving college, Wherton said he reconnected with Cooper at a Super Trowel competition after losing touch. He described the reunion as emotional, and said he now carries forward the same teaching traits he learned as a student.
For bricklaying crews and mason contractors, Wherton’s story puts the spotlight on a simple workforce reality: strong instructors and clear training pathways shape the next generation on the wall. He said he feels confident heading into the Las Vegas competition, and he is ready to put his name on the map.
Read the full, original article from AOL.com here.