![In this self-portrait he provided, Quentin Paulsen sits in his barber chair at the Hub City Barbers in Crestview. [SPECIAL TO THE NEWS BULLETIN]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-6f4229d7-2abc-1c18-e053-0100007f15c9-707201dd.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — A barber at Hub City Barbers in Crestview has won a contest for best male haircut.
Quentin "Q" Paulsen was one of eight weekly winners in the Project X Instagram Contest launched in April by American Salon, www.americansalon.com; Reuzel, a hair pomade and products manufacturer; and Project X, a Netherlands barber education and scholarship provider.
Judges from the three companies selected their favorite photo based on three criteria: the haircut's quality, the picture itself, and following contest instructions for the haircut. After weekly winners were selected, they narrowed those photos down to the top 10 percent of entrants.
On June 20 Paulsen learned that he also won the grand prize, a trip for two to the Netherlands, where he will attend Project X's Old School Barber Academy.
"I'm really looking forward to getting to meet the guys at the barber academy over there," Paulsen said. "I'll be spending about four days at a barber school that they created. They use the Reuzel pomade that we use here, and they do the old style classic hair cuts, you know, the pompadours and flat tops.
"So they've got their own school out there. So I'll be attending that and just being able to refine my craft and get to watch these guys who are really good in the barbering industry do what they do best," he said. "Thank you from me to American Salon, Reuzel Pomade and Brenton Parry."
Paulsen has been at Hub City Barbers since the business opened its doors Dec. 11, 2017 at 211 Main St. N.
HCB owner Brenton Parry said a professional colleague recommended Paulsen as a potential employee.
Parry grew his hair out, pretended to be a tourist and went to Paulsen for a hair cut.
"I sat in his chair and let him cut my hair and made sure he did a good job and the attention to detail was there. The reason why I went to check him out instead of the other two guys was the type of haircuts he does are the rock and roll style haircuts we specialize in," Parry said.
His professionalism and demeanor, and the work he did on Parry's hair sealed the deal.
"His haircuts are exactly what I needed in the shop — top notch," Parry said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Top notch' barber wins Netherlands trip