The Don

WORDS TALIA WALDEGRAVE PHOTOS JORDAN VICKERS

“I lost seven friends in four years. That’s not okay.” Fighting the war on suicide, Sam Dowdall is embarking on a quest to raise awareness for mental health, specifically for men.

Snipping locks in homes from Matua to Matapihi, Sam Don Barber has become somewhat of a local icon. He is smart, eloquent, and incredibly personable and as far as cool hairdressers go, none of them quite compare to his dapper effervescence. Dropping cheeky innuendos throughout our chat, he tells me about his upcoming pilgrimage from north to south, trading haircuts for goods and services.

“I got over waiting for the weekly paycheck and doing everything for myself, so I made a decision to help others. I love the feeling I get from it, I get a heart on, or an affection erection.” 

SHAKING OFF THE STIGMA

“People hear the mention of mental health and instantly think of a straight jacket, but it’s time to break down those perceptions. There is a bad attitude amongst younger men, especially when you hit the provinces, so I’ll be focusing on rural, coastal and lower socio economic areas.”

“The problem comes from a mix between mental health and emotional illiteracy; what you might be suffering from, teamed with being too scared to talk about it. That’s what this is journey is all about. Encouraging people, especially men, to speak up and communicate. It’s about knowing how to put your hand up and ask for help.”

His plight is one I encourage. Most New Zealanders are affected in some way by mental health or suicide, yet the taboo surrounding it leaves us sitting in an eerie and ignorant silence.

“As a barber you become an instant counselor. I’ve been doing this for twelve years now and I know how to get people to talk. Often when someone is dealing with an issue, it tends to stem from fear and frustration, but the barbershop encourages conversation. It actually helps a lot of guys to relax.”

“Touching another man’s face is something many men are not accustomed to, but it’s extraordinary to watch what happens. First there’s a long silence, but it only takes a moment before they open up and share something really personal.”

It’s this fire in the belly teamed with an empathetic understanding that will aid Sam on his top to toe sojourn. It helps too that he has the gift of the gab. 

ONE HECK OF A ROAD TRIP

According to Sam’s calculations, his trip will take precisely 680 days.  

“I’m building the caravan at the moment, one piece at a time. I take donations for haircuts and then I use that money to pay for materials. If I get 20 dollars for a cut, I can use that to buy a piece of plywood construction.”

“This isn’t about making money. All I need is just get enough to feed me and the dog and anything we don’t use will be sent to my major partner TradeMe. 100 percent of the profit made will go straight to Lifeline and anything we don’t eat to the local Food Bank or SPCA.”

The main focus will be on small New Zealand towns and in particular, volunteer firefighters; the first port of call when crisis arises. 

“Some of these guys see up to seven or eight suicides a year. That’s a big chunk of their community. I want to work with them to teach others how to manage a crisis.”

Sam will also train local hairdressers and barbers at no cost, on the proviso they’re on board with the project. 

“I really want it to hit home just how important it is to give back to the community.”

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while and tried a few years back, but I didn’t have the right planning behind me. Yes, there’s a lot of admin involved, but I love it and I actually find it very, very easy! I think the most intense part for me will be the traveling and constant time on the road.”

EMBRACE VULNERABILITY

“If you’re ever worried about someone, the best way forward is doing something together. Get out, go fishing, surfing or hunting but make sure you stop and ask, ‘Hey mate, are you alright?”

“It’s so small, so incredibly minute, but that there, that one question can make all the difference, and there’s something really special when two blokes are cut from the same tree and share that level of vulnerability.”

Teetering on the brink of suicide is an incredibly dark place to be, and it’s often difficult to imagine the possibility of a future. 

“I’ve helped people in this situation and I want to educate others on how to do the same. It’s about sitting down and saying, ‘Let’s have a listen to what got you here. What’s going on? What steps can we take to make sure you’re safe for now? Let’s make a plan. I can’t fix you, but I can make you safe for now.”

Great hair day

WORDS TALIA WALDEGRAVE PHOTOS TRACIE HEASMAN

Tucked into the burgeoning creative hub on Totara St, Talia Waldegrave celebrates with hair salons Ivy and barber shop Havana.

LAUNCH NIGHT

As far as first impressions go, Ivy and Havana have me sold. Brimming with young up-and-comings, local business owners and budding hair professionals, the launch night is a damn fine party. Down to earth glamour is how I'd describe it: smiling, handsome barbers hand out steaming slices of delicious pizza from The Pizza Library next door, and the bar is set up with a tangled web of mint leaves, a mountain of lime wedges, and buckets of ice to make Havana Rum cocktails. Two ultra-glam ladies kick back in barbershop chairs, pizza slice in one hand, champagne flute in the other. This is a family unit, blood relative or not.

THE GURU

On my second encounter with the Ivy Havana crew, I’m early, but am instantly greeted warmly before I've managed to get inside the door. With time to kill, I wait in the communal kitchen at the table where I’d gobbled pizza just a few nights earlier. The kitchen epitomises the Ivy Havana vibe: the fit-out has had someone with a sharp design eye oversee it, and it's fully functional too (the washing machine is tucked neatly away in the corner). Best of all, this space joins Ivy: the ladies' salon, to the Havana: the barber. Staff make themselves a cuppa and chat to clients waiting for a colour to take, or anyone else who happens to be there for a chat.

Each person passing by gives me a nod, a wave or a ‘hi’, and I wonder if they’re trained to smile this way, because it’s incredibly welcoming. 

I’m here to meet Ruth, the matriarch of the family. After 45 years as a trainer, she’s a bit of a legend in the industry. “My mother-in-law opened one of the first hair training schools in New Zealand and that’s where I started. From the beginning, I’ve enjoyed watching how life changing it is for young people and I still love every second of it.”

Ruth and her team have recently refurbished the Hair2Train building on Totara Street and created beautiful salon Ivy, and brother barbershop Havana. The branding is cutting edge and the décor contemporary cool; it’s unlike anything Tauranga has seen before.

"We wanted to offer something completely separate from the training school where people could come, sit at the table, read the paper and have a coffee. It’s about offering the whole experience, with service and consistency.”

IVY

Put simply, Ivy is beautiful. She's quintessential salon luxe with gold candles and ornate décor. It's the place to be pampered in all things hair, from cuts and styling to indulgent treatments for luscious locks.

HAVANA

The recent resurgence in the old school barbershop has brought back the traditional cut throat shave, injecting some va va voom into men's grooming and Havana is just that. The décor is all blokey and the corrugated sliding door to the car park is reminiscent of a 1950’s James Dean biker gang. 

But what makes this place tick is the people.

“Because we are aligned with the training side of things, our attention to detail is impeccable, we are good at communicating with our clients but most importantly, but what we do best is customer service.”

On my way out, I book an appointment. I can't wait to go back, I already feel part of the gang.