Tattoo lovers and tattoo hopefuls will no longer have to travel to Invermere to have their wishes fulfilled as a new tattoo business is opening in Golden.
Robb Syre has been in the business for 23 years. He lives, eats, and breathes tattooing. Now he has brought his passion here. Setting up shop in the back of Rebel Rose, Custom Tattoos by Robb is open for business and those wanting a new tattoo can book an appointment and get their wish fulfilled.
Syre said the day he got his first tattoo was the day he decided he wanted to go into the industry. “I was in high school, I got my first tattoo for my birthday and I’ve never looked back since then.”
After getting his first tattoo, Syre said he would stop by the tattoo shop every day after school asking the artist to take him on as an apprentice. After a year of bugging him, he finally agreed and by the time Syre graduated high school, he had a career.
Thinking back on creating his first tattoo, Syre said he was nervous the whole time, but the client was a friend of his teacher and despite him shaking the whole time, the tattoo came out perfect and from that point on he just took off.
20 years later in 2014 Syre attended the annual Calgary tattoo convention.
There he competed against one of the biggest television tattoo artists and won tattoo of the day.
Syre wouldn’t say who it was, but he said since then, he often thinks back on that tattoo.
“It’s my tattoo that I’m pretty proud of,” Syre said. “I always have it on my mind because I want each tattoo to be better than that one.
Having been in the industry for over twenty years, Syre has seen all the trends and says tattoos are becoming more and more common place and believes TV and the internet is the reason for the boom of the industry.
“75 percent are because of the tattoo TV shows. It’s one of those things on TV that has become a huge thing. I’ve been tattooing for 23 years and I’ve seen all the trends come and go in that time and the TV thing is just crazy.”
Syre prides himself on being a custom tattoo artist. He won’t copy a tattoo from the internet, he never does the same tattoo twice, and if two people come asking for matching tattoos, he’ll change it slightly so each has a unique tattoo.
You’re only as good as your last tattoo and I don’t abide by that rule, I’m better than my last tattoo. It’s going to be on you forever and I’m not going to be comfortable you walking out of here with a piece of crap.”
Now in Golden, Syre says he’s excited to be here and excited to serve the people here.
“I love Golden,” Syre said. “It’s beautiful here. I’ve seen a few people try and do tattooing here, tattooing underage people, putting it on spots you shouldn’t be, and just not taking proper care.”
Syre says he hopes he can continually improve and strives each day to be better than before.
“I love this industry, I care about it, I worry about people who get tattooed. I want to make sure that everybody that wants to get tattooed can do it safely and professionally and come out of the shop with what they wanted, if not more.”
