10/11/2016 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY A.R. SHAW | WRITTEN BY STEED MEDIA
Hugo “Juice” Tandron always knew that styling hair in some form would be in his future. During his early teenage years, Juice experimented on himself by cutting his own hair in different styles and designs. It was a way for him to express himself, but it also allowed him to develop a craft at an early age.
uice continued to develop his skills as a barber and eventually started cutting hair out of his home in the Carol City section of Miami. But his big break came in 1993 when Gary Sheffield first signed with the Miami Marlins and needed a new barber.
“Gary Sheffield came by and got his hair cut and he liked it,” Juice recalls. “He came back and then started to bring a couple guys with him each time. By 1997, I had most of the Florida Marlins team that won the World Series coming to [the] crib in Carol City getting their haircuts.”
The initial relationship with Sheffield eventually led to an official collaboration with the Marlins franchise. “By 2012, when the Marlins opened their new ballpark, the Marlins president [David Samson] reassured me that I was in their plans for the new stadium. Before the season started, he had me come to the stadium and told me to choose a room. He told me, ‘this is your barbershop. You earned it.’ ”
Dutch Masters takes pride in craftsmanship and building through collaboration and Juice’s story coincides with that representation. Along with being the official barber for the Marlins, Juice is also the owner of Headz Up Barbershop. In a sense, it was the realization of a dream for his craft to take him this far.
“I have a World Series under my belt,” he says. “I have been blessed dealing with the Marlins. They fly me out of town in order to cater to some of the guys and it’s a true blessing. It reminds me every day that when I look in the mirror, I am blessed.”