MASON, 37
Why he's interesting: The Mayfield resident and professional mason will represent Ohio during February's Bricklayer 500 in Las Vegas. Teams of masons and tenders from throughout the country will have exactly an hour to lay a minimum of 500 bricks and build a specific-sized wall. Judging will be based on the number of bricks used and quality of workmanship. The winner will take home $10,000 and a 2016 Ford F-250. Brick House: Dibra, who has been a professional mason for 18 years, recognized his speed about a decade ago. "Guys on the job were telling me how fast I was. You don't really think about how quickly you're going when you're doing it. Then I started noticing, too." He won the Ohio regional Bricklayer contest in August by laying 475 bricks in one hour. Concrete Plan: Dibra and his competition partner, Charlie Cheatham, practice once a month in an East Side shop. "The mortar we use doesn't get hard so you can reuse it. You use the bricks, clean them and use them over again." Cinder Moments: Dibra says one of the most challenging things about bricklaying is the bricks themselves. "They're all different. I have to look at every single brick and determine its texture, examine it for flaws. And to win, I've got to do it quickly." Funny Guy: Cheatham's comedic relief helps Dibra stay relaxed. "He spends every day telling me how I'm no good and that I'm not fast enough. It cracks me up." Eye on the Prize: While he's excited for the experience, he's also there with a clear purpose in mind. "I want the truck and the money. If we win, we'll sell the truck, and Charlie and I will split everything." Vegas Baby: This will be Dibra's second time in Vegas. While he doesn't gamble, he's a Dean Martin fan. "I enjoy relaxing to the Rat Pack on a Sunday morning with a bloody mary." Slow Down: When it comes to his favorite hobby, cooking, he likes to take it easy. "I'm from Italy and I like to cook nice and slow. I make sauce every Sunday."
