SEASIDE – An old leather jacket, NASCAR collector items and photos of antique motorcycles decorate the walls of Bob Hutson’s new barbershop in Seaside.

But a Bible and a wooden cross nearby are the pillars of Barber Bob’s, where a sign advertises a haircut for $12 and salvation for free.

Hutson is a devout Christian, a counselor with the North Coast Recovery Outreach Center, Seaside’s faith-based addiction treatment program, and a licensed minister with the Christian Crusaders. He leads worship every Sunday at Logan Road Chapel in rural Clatsop County.

Such was not always the case.

In fact, Hutson built the foundation of his life today – his faith, his hair-styling skills, even the worship songs he plays on guitar – while serving a prison sentence in Salem.

Opening his own barbershop April 1 marked a new milestone in a transformation that has kept Hutson clean and sober for nearly 12 years.

In his earlier years, Hutson worked jobs in construction, logging and fabrication. He spent much of his free time drinking, riding motorcycles and never feeling completely satisfied.

“I tried drugs, I tried alcohol. I tried women. I tried everything,” he said. “Nothing would fill that void in my life.”

When that life landed him in prison, he recognized faith as the missing piece he needed to fill the void.

“I was almost middle-aged before I ever got in trouble,” he said. “Talk about a shocker and an eye-opener.”

The Christian Crusaders, a ministry of motorcycle enthusiasts, quickly became Hutson’s lifeline during his years in prison.

“They embraced me without even knowing me,” he said. “For years, they wrote me letters of encouragement and kept me alive with hope.”

Along with opening his eyes to a new level of faith, Hutson said the ministry also taught him that being a good Christian didn’t mean he had to give up riding his Harley.

“I can do it with people from similar backgrounds who just love the Lord and who will have a positive influence in my life,” he said.

The Crusaders’ support – and a dream from his father, who died last week – encouraged Hutson to enroll in the Capital School of Hair Design, a training program offered through the prison.

“I was a natural at it,” he said. “I loved doing hair.”

After graduating from the school, Hutson became an instructor, and he continued cutting hair for inmates over the remainder of his sentence.

Since then, he’s thought about his dad’s dream of him standing in front of his own barbershop. It’s a scary leap of faith, said Hutson, leaving his steady paycheck at Seaside’s Sopko Welding and striking out on his own.

“But now, here we are,” he said. “My dad’s dream is fulfilled. He lived just long enough to see me open my own shop.”

When he’s not manning his shop, Hutson spends a lot of his time counseling and ministering to people in need, sharing his story to offer them hope for their own lives.

“The bottom line is you can’t give up,” he said. “Just because you made the wrong choices in your life and got yourself in a situation you shouldn’t have been in, it’s not too late. You’re never too far down the wrong road to make a U-turn.”

Hutson wants his barbershop to be a place where fathers and sons can spend quality time together and make long-lasting memories.

“This is my new life. This is my new livelihood,” he said. “It’s just the beginning.”

– Cassandra Profita