Alex Kooser

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My most recent tattoo says "SAIL AWAY" across my knuckles, inspired by the David Gray song my parents used to play on a boombox during our family trips to the Florida Keys. That song, those sunsets—it captured a time when love felt effortless and whole. Now as a dad, it’s a reminder to create the same kind of magic and memory for my own kids.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

It would say: love who you are, even when the world tells you not to. I work in the operating room where tattoos still raise eyebrows, but for me, it’s a quiet rebellion—an unspoken challenge to outdated norms. Ink doesn’t diminish professionalism, it deepens identity.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’d reinvest it into the culture that gave me so much. Whether it’s donating to young, aspiring artists or spreading the love to the shops that shaped me—maybe even help fund a local convention or meetup—I'd use it to give back to the community that helped tell my story.