The last time Skin and Bones Tattoo moved locations, it took about three years for their customer base to find them again. That was 15 years ago.
This go round isn’t taking quite so long. After finally reopening their decades-old business in Flandreau just over a month ago, the duo behind the famed and largely free-style body art is already seeing an uptick in the return of longtime loyal customers.
“We really like Flandreau,” said Ken “Bones” Rol. “It’s quiet, the people are so friendly, nice and helpful, so positive.”
Bones and his wife, Audrey, or “Skin” as many know her, started their tattoo business a little over 40 years ago on the west side of Sioux Falls.

“When we started, the economy was pretty bad,” said Bones. “It was hard to find work and our son was really little, so we just kind of got into this thinking that it would be a way to make some money until I could find a really good job. It just kind of snowballed on us…”
They stayed in their first location almost two decades, Bones said, before bouncing around a bit. They finally settled into a little pink church just east of downtown Sioux Falls, at the intersection of Cliff and 9th Avenues. They’ve stayed there for the past 15 years and might have finished out their careers in that little church. But in that time, the increase in crime and violence in their neighborhood has been unsettling — for their staff, their customers, and themselves. The business had been broken into on several occasions.
It was time to get out, the couple said. “We don’t miss Sioux Falls at all.”
Audrey has ties to Flandreau, her grandmother Lottie Good Thunder is from the area. Bones adds that the couple also has a lot of friends here who are like family. So this was where they decided to land.
“We’re just happy to be here. We just feel good here, we like the people, like the town,” the couple said.
Skin and Bones Tattoo, which is now located in downtown Flandreau at 105 N. Wind Street, does take walk-in appointments. They prefer, however, that customers make an appointment if possible. They are open five days a week from 10am - 6pm Tuesday through Saturday.