Third Coast Presents
•
Third Coast Presents •
The World Series of Tattooing™
The first-ever competitive tattoo tournament designed to determine, through structured scoring and head-to-head battles, who truly stands at the top of the craft.
32 Artists • 3 Days • One Champion
June 26–28, 2026
Morgan MFG | Chicago, IL$15,000 Prize Pool
What to Expect
Artists compete across multiple styles, sizes, and time constraints: progressing from flash-based rounds into fully original, high-stakes final work.
Advancement is earned. Every decision is visible. Every result is scored.
This is not a convention contest.
This is a tournament.
32 Artists total
All artists compete in a Preliminary Round
Top 16 advance to Battle Brackets (1v1 single elimination)
Final 4 advance to the Mastery Bracket
One artist is crowned WSOTT Champion
Artists who make it through the full tournament will complete:
5 tattoos
Across multiple styles
21 total hours of tattooing
The World Series of Tattooing™ is a structured, multi-round tattoo tournament built to remove subjectivity and create a true competitive format.
Tournament Structure
Preliminary Round
32 Artists
2–4” tattoo
2 hour time limit
Designs selected by clients from submitted flash
Top 4 artists in each pod advance
Battle Brackets (2 Rounds)
16 → 8 Artists
5–6” tattoos
3–3.5 hour time limits
Head-to-head elimination
Winners of each pod advance to the Mastery Bracket
Mastery Bracket (2 Rounds)
Final 4 → 2 → Champion
7–12” tattoos
6–6.5 hour time limits
Artists tattoo their own designs
Clients choose a shared style pairing
Final battles determine the WSOTT Champion
Style System
Artists must be capable across all major style pairings:
Traditional (American, European, and/or Japanese)
New School / Neo Traditional
Illustrative / Watercolor
Realism / Surrealism
Each pod strategically rotates and restricts styles per round so adaptability becomes part of the competition
Flash Submission Requirement
All tattoos in the Preliminary and Battle rounds are selected from artist-submitted designs. Your submissions directly impact your performance in the tournament.
Designs submitted will be compiled into a shared flash book used by client participants to select tattoos for the Preliminary and Battle rounds
Minimum Design Submission
Each artist must submit 12 total designs, one of each size for every style pairing.
2–4” (2 hour time limit)
5–6” (3-3.5 hour time limits)
7–12” (6-6.5 hour time limits)
Traditional (American, Euro, and/or Japanese)
New School / Neo Traditional
Illustrative / Watercolor
Realism / Surrealism
Additional Submissions (Optional)
Artists may submit up to 4 designs per style pairing per size.
Additional 2–4” and 5–6” designs: $2 each
7–12” designs: unlimited (no additional cost)
Why Submit More Designs ?
Submitting more designs increases your competitive advantage:
Higher likelihood of your designs being selected by clients
Better positioning for the “Most Designs Selected” ($500 prize)
Direct impact on the Creativity score during Battle Brackets
More designs = more visibility = more points
Rules and Regs
Guidelines
Designs must be original and align with assigned style pairings and size categories
Designs must be appropriate for execution within tournament time limits
Designs may be submitted as Linework or Fully rendered
During the tournament:
Artists have creative freedom in execution
Clients will choose color or black & grey
Dates and Deadlines
The application deadline in Friday, May 15th.
Selections will be announced May 22nd.
All design submissions must be received by: June 19, 2026
Failure to submit required designs by the deadline will result in a $100 non-compliance fee or forfeiture of your position in the tournament
This policy ensures fairness across the tournament and protects the integrity of the design selection system
How It Works
Prize Pool — $15,000
Champion
$10,000 and an invitation to Third Coast 2027
2nd Place
$2,000
Battle Bracket Winners
$500 each
Top Preliminary Score
$500
Most Flash Designs Selected
$500
-
$299 Entry Fee
(32 total spots)Includes:
Tournament entry
6x5 ft tattoo station
2 chairs
Requirements:
Professional tattooer working out of a licensed shop
Valid BBP certification
All designs submitted by June 19, 2026
Tattoo Design Submission Requirements
4 designs per style pairing
At least 1 required design per size + style pairing
Additional small/medium designs: $2 each
Unlimited large designs (7–12”)
Outside submissions allowed ($25 per 10 designs)
All designs must:
Be original
Match required sizes and styles
Be executable within time limits
-
Tickets starting at $150
Receive a tattoo within the tournament format (up to 6.5hrs of tattooing)
Designs are selected from artist flash submissions (not custom requests)
Includes a 3-day Third Coast pass
A note for clients
WSOTT runs on a live tournament schedule. To keep things moving fairly for all artists, clients must arrive on time and ready to be tattooed. Late arrival may result in forfeiture of your session. -
Small, Medium, Large, XL categories
$50 entry
Winner takes 80% of the pot
-
Beer Pong Tournament
Artists eliminated on Friday receive free entry into a World Series of Beer Pong® tournament with thousands in additional prizes.
Station Rentals
Eliminated artists may rent tattoo stations at the event:
$100/day (while available)
-
Artists may tattoo other artists’ designs in early rounds
Design selection occurs before the event
Canvases in final rounds must agree on a shared style
All participants must arrive early or risk forfeiture
World Series of Tattooing Pilot TournamentSchedule
The WSOTT Pilot Tournament will take place at the Second Annual Third Coast Tattoo Show on the Mezzanine level of Morgan MFG
Preliminary Round 4:00–6:00 PM
Battle Bracket (Round 1) 7:00–10:00 PM
Friday, June 26th
Battle Bracket Finals 12:00–3:30 PM
Mastery Bracket (Round 1) 4:30–10:30 PM
Saturday, June 27th
Sunday, June 28th
Mastery Finals — 12:00–6:30 PM
Our Mission:
To create a format where tattooing can be measured, compared, and pushed forward without losing the artistry that defines itA system where:
Skill is tested across styles
Execution is scored transparently
Reputation is earned through performanceThe World Series of Tattooing™
Think you belong in the bracket?
Submission deadline is Friday, May 15th.