Showdown Tattoos and Skateboards

Love this place! This is my go-​to place for tattoos, and it is the absolute first place I recommend to all my friends/​family. All the guys are super chill. Casper is AMAZING, as is Spencer! Would highly recommend them. They all rock though. Super friendly and chill.

Clean clean shop, amazing artists. Fast work, excellent skill. I mean, what more can you ask for really? Definitely returning to have more tats done

Had a terrible experience at this place. First time I went in for a consultation on a fairly simple piece, the guy was really nice in person, but he never actually got back to me. I messaged after three weeks to check up, and never got a reply.
During that time, I had returned to buy a gift card for a friend. When I walked in, there were about 5 guys behind the counter and I was completely ignored for an incredibly awkward amount of time. When I finally spoke up, a few of the guys looked at each other as if none really wanted to be the one to help me out. Eventually I was able to ask one of them for a gift card (even though I was slowly beginning to regret the idea) and he informed me they only took cash… Once I returned from the ATM, the guy I was dealing with was gone and I was ignored again. Finally when someone else took my 100 bucks, he handed me a paper business card with $ 100 written on it in sharpie… no receipt or anything. What a beautiful gift! Not.
I cannot speak to the tattooing expertise here; the artists could be very talented, but the customer service was SO bad. Granted, this was about a year and a half ago, so it may be better now, but it was enough to make me NEVER want to return, nor would I ever recommend to anyone! Plenty of other nice tattoo shops in Edmonton.

The shop might look a bit sketch from the outside, but inside it is very nice. There are two tattooing areas as far as I know — one on the main floor adjacent to the retail portion of the store, and the other is upstairs in a different part of the building. During my visit the main floor room was rather noisy (several people were getting tattooed and having conversations) whereas the room upstairs was empty and quiet. The stations in both areas were all clean and organized. Note that this store is cash only, and when I was there the ATM was not working properly. I ended up having to go down the street to a random restaurant to get cash.
My visit to Showdown involved the last tattoo session for my floral half-​sleeve (Ryan began working on my tattoo when he was set up at Strange City). Getting tattooed by Ryan was a great experience. He was attentive and calm, and throughout the consulting and tattooing process he made me feel at ease in the studio. My questions were answered respectfully and Ryan listened to what I wanted in a tattoo. My tattoo looks fantastic and healed well, I am very happy with it!

The guys at Showdown are not only hilarious people, and fun to spend an afternoon with, but they’re incredible artists each with their own skill sets.
I’ve gotten work done by Heath from Showdown twice — medium-​sized pieces, one on my left forearm, and another on my right calf. Heath’s attention to detail is second to none, and might be matched only by how quick he is.
Showdown itself is clean, quirky and fun. Whether you’re looking for new ink, or some skate gear, Dustin and his staff can hook you up. And if you hang out with the fellas for awhile, you’re bound to have a sore stomach from all the laughing you do.
I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a new tattoo.

My body is art-​free, but I ventured into this Chinatown tattoo parlour just out of curiosity. No, I did not leave with a heart or my boyfriend’s name tattooed across my chest, but I did see two rooms with two artists actively tattooing customers. Both artists had loads of tats — personally, if I was going to go for a tattoo, I would want an artist with lots of body art.
The main area is filled with different skateboards, accessories, and clothing. This is a place for hardcore boarders who like to build their own set of wheels. I enjoyed seeing all the artistic and colourful boards and was inspired once again to think about taking up the sport myself.