Gold Winner Joel Martell, Oddfellows Barbershop
Silver Winner Rob Oxner, Saint Lou’s Gentlemen’s Barbershop
Bronze Winner Phat Luong, Phat’s Barber Shop
“Honestly, when I opened the shop, winning Best Barber in Halifax was in my three-year business plan,” says Joel Martell. “And I hit it on the first year, so you can imagine how stoked I am.” Last year, the skateboarder and barber moved home from Vancouver to open his own shop inside Pro Skates. In just one year, he’s trained an apprentice, added two additional barbers, grew a healthy clientele and expanded his hours. “I’m slammed every day but we have lots of room to grow. I love making people look good, being a nice guy and listening to people,” he says. “You have to be a good listener. And an old friend and a new friend sits in the chair every day.”