Island woman’s tats put her in the running for $25,000 prize and Inked magazine cover photo shoot

Chemainus Secondary grad and Ladysmith resident a strong contender in voting

  • Feb. 25, 2020 12:00 a.m.
Jaimee Kodric is in pursuit of the prestigious $25,000 prize and to be on the cover of Inked magazine. (Photo submitted)

Jaimee Kodric is in pursuit of the prestigious $25,000 prize and to be on the cover of Inked magazine. (Photo submitted)

You can judge Jamiee Kodric by the tattoos that cover many parts of her body. And she’s hoping that will land her on the cover of a prestigious magazine.

The 2010 Chemainus Secondary School grad and current Ladysmith resident covets the chance to become the next Inked magazine cover girl that comes with a $25,000 prize and she’s garnering plenty of local support toward that goal.

Kodric, 27, made it past the first cut Thursday. She’s into the top 20 and is presently first in her group, as voting continues until Thursday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. Pacific time to determine the top 15.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has been voting for the Inked Magazine competition,” she enthused.

“People can vote once every 24 hours.”

To paraphrase a famous song that sums up Kodric’s ambition: “Wanna see my picture on the cover, wanna buy five copies for my mother, wanna see my smilin’ face, on the cover of Inked magazine.”

“Last year I ended up winning my group and made it into the semifinals,” she explained.

“It would be nice to get further in the contest this year compared to last year but no matter what happens I’m just enjoying the fun of running and the possibilities of what might come from it.”

Kodric can’t help but thinking about making it all the way this time with the voting support she’s receiving and the numerous other opportunities that would likely come her way.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said. “Alternative modeling would be fun, that kind of stuff.”

Winning the contest could also mean appearances in music videos and all sorts of other exposure created through Inked magazine.

Kodric said she got her first tattoo at the age of 16. It was a cross on her forearm and she doesn’t recall getting it for any other reason than her mom always had an abundance of unique crosses throughout their house and it always reminded Kodric of her.

“I don’t really remember what my mindset was,” she conceded. “My mom always had a few tattoos and stuff. It just kind of snowballed. I think it was probably one (tattoo) a year for the first few years.”

It’s true in Kodric’s case that getting tattoos has proven addictive.

“For me, absolutely,” she indicated. “I always tell myself, ‘OK after this one I’m going to take a break.’ And then a month or two later I’m booking another appointment.”

Now, “I’ve got a lot going on,” said Kodric of her tattoos.

She doesn’t necessarily have any kind of theme to all of them.

“I just get things that I think are edgy and beautiful,” Kodric noted.

“I think I have always wanted to do things a little bit differently so the tattoos have given me a way to express myself that way.”

The criteria of what constitutes the best of the contestants is open to interpretation.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that the quality of the tattoos matter as much as they should in this contest,” pointed out Kodric. “A lot of the participants only have one or two tattoos.”

That $25,000 is dangling in front of her and Kodric has her eyes on what to do with the prize if she gets it.

“I would pay off my student loan and then use whatever is left to go on a vacation,” she said.

Kodric is the owner and lash tech at Wicked Lashes, a business she runs from her own home.

Chemainus and Ladysmith area residents are jumping on the bandwagon and doing their part to help boost Kodric’s chances.

Michael Pickard knows Kodric as the daughter of his school chum, Wally Kodric.

“With support from friends, let’s help put Jaimee and her different form of a mural on the map,” noted Pickard on Facebook. “It just takes two clicks each day and Chemainus will get a big shout-out too – a win, win.”

Inked is a tattoo lifestyle digital media company that bills itself as the outsiders’ insider media – covering music, fashion, art, sports and the rest of the lifestyle of the tattooed.

The magazine noted thousands of tattoo models from around the world registered last year for their chance to be featured on the cover of the magazine. It was an intense battle to the finish, and it’s shaping up that way again.

The winner also receives an all-expenses paid trip to join celebrity photographer Christopher Kolk and his style team for the exclusive cover shoot.

To vote for Kodric, visit: cover.inkedmag.com/2020/jaimee-kodric.

Nanaimo News Bulletin