'Seven years of regret': Raunchy leg piece wins bad tattoo competition at Edmonton Expo Centre
Friday night was a celebration of mistakes for a small group of body art enthusiasts.
The Ben Alway Memorial Bad Tattoo Contest was held at the Edmonton Expo Centre as part of the Edmonton Tattoo and Arts Festival.
Legacy Tattoo Removal organized the competition in honour of former tattoo removal expert Ben Alway who died in 2023.
"People submit some of their mistakes or some of the tattoos that didn't turn out to their expectations, and we judge them and we laugh," said Legacy Tattoo Removal co-owner Madi Rawson.
The contest was free for festival attendees, with prizes awarded to the three worst tattoo owners.
The winner was an X-rated Dungeons and Dragons leg tattoo, which owner Blaine had done eight years ago.
Blaine said he came up with the concept while "three sheets to the wind."
When he finally followed through with it, the execution was below expectations.
"It was seven years of regret," Blaine said. "The first year I was like, 'Yeah, this is alright. It's not terrible, right? Right?'
"And then I talked to enough people and, oh yeah, it's terrible."A raunchy Dungeons and Dragons tattoo took top prize at the Ben Alway Memorial Bad Tattoo Contest at the Edmonton Expo Centre on April 20, 2024. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)
Blaine's adult-themed artwork won Legacy's top prize of a $500 gift certificate to go toward erasing the inky mistake.
"Our mentor Ben would have really loved that that tattoo won the contest," Rawson said.
Blaine's happy to have a head start on removing his raunchy tribute, but it's not the design or subject matter he regrets.
"I want it to look like it should have looked in the beginning. So I'm just getting it removed to put it back on again, but not terrible," he added.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Sean McClune
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.