Photos: Crowning the newest Lego master

On Tuesday, finalists in Legoland California’s contest for a master model builder went head-to-head to build a model they thought would fit in at the theme park.

\r\nBefore the “build-off,” contestants chose their bricks from dozens upon dozens of bins. Then, a Legoland store employee (pictured) weighed their selections.

For their two skill tests, competitors were tasked with building models of faces and eggs. Legoland master model builders then collected the results and placed them in a room for later examination.

Master model builder finalist Hanif Payandeh, 24, examines the Lego egg he created during the second skill test in Carlsbad, Calif.

At the start of the main build-off on Tuesday, finalist Gary McIntire, a 25-year-old construction professional from Highland, Utah, pours his bricks out onto his table in preparation for some serious building.

Jason Poland, a recent college graduate from Houston, grabbed first place in the master model builder competition. Here, Poland gets started on his winning fire-breathing snowman.

Poland, as viewed through the mouth of a Lego shark at Legoland California. Poland beat out 22 other finalists from around the country to become the newest master builder at the theme park.

Throughout the main competition, finalists continually got to grab more bricks from a table covered with tubs.

Clay Hervey, who finished second, works on his model of a police officer. Hervey, a graphic design student, hails from Mesquite, Texas.

The crowd favorite, a dragon, is pictured in its almost-finished form during the final round of the master model builder competition.

Winner Poland’s model of a snowman breathing fire.

While inspecting the finalists’ models, the three judges got in close to peer inside one builder’s pirate cave.

Poland reacts after the announcement that he’d won the national master model builder competition.