OFFICIAL COMPETITION
OFFICIAL COMPETITION RULES & FORMAT
April 3rd & 4th, 2027
Niagara Falls Convention Centre | Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Welcome to the Canadian Tint Expo & Competition.
Our goal is to create a professional, fair and exciting competition that gives installers from across Canada and the United States an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the industry.
Competitors will be judged on more than speed.
Quality. Cleanliness. Technique. Precision. Time Management. Professional Execution.
Four major competitions will take place throughout the weekend:
🏆 Great Canadian Tint Competition
🪟 Flat Glass Championship
🚘 Wrap Competition
🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada vs. USA Cross Border Showdown
🏆 GREAT CANADIAN TINT COMPETITION
WHO CAN COMPETE?
The Great Canadian Tint Competition is open to professional and qualified window tint installers who want to put their installation skills to the test.
Competitors will complete automotive window film installations under controlled conditions using the same or equivalent competition materials and work areas.
QUALIFYING ROUND
Competitors will participate in a timed automotive tint installation challenge.
Each installer will be assigned a designated window or installation area.
Competitors must complete the installation within the announced time limit.
Judges will evaluate:
• Contamination control
• Edge and gap consistency
• Creases and installation defects
• Film handling
• Cutting and finishing
• Overall appearance
• Installation technique
• Completion within the allotted time
The highest-scoring qualifying installers will advance.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Finalists will face a more extensive automotive installation challenge.
All finalists begin the championship round with a clean slate.
Scores from qualifying will determine advancement but will not be added to the championship score.
The competitor receiving the highest final-round score will be named:
🏆 GREAT CANADIAN TINT CHAMPION 2027
🪟 FLAT GLASS CHAMPIONSHIP
Flat glass installation requires an entirely different set of skills — and we want those skills represented on the competition floor.
Competitors will install architectural window film onto designated competition glass.
COMPETITION FORMAT
Installers will compete in timed qualifying heats.
Each competitor will receive an equivalent installation area and designated film.
Competitors must prepare, measure, cut, install and finish their assigned glass within the allotted time.
JUDGING
Judges will evaluate:
• Glass preparation
• Measurement and film preparation
• Contamination
• Edge gaps
• Straightness and consistency
• Water removal
• Creases, fingers or film damage
• Cutting technique
• Overall workmanship
• Completion within the time limit
The top-scoring installers will advance to the championship round.
Finalists will complete a larger or more technically demanding flat-glass installation.
The highest-scoring finalist will become:
🏆 CANADIAN FLAT GLASS CHAMPION 2027
🚘 WRAP COMPETITION
The Wrap Competition will test the skills required to produce clean, professional vehicle-wrap installations while working against the clock.
QUALIFYING ROUND
Competitors will receive matching or equivalent vehicle panels and materials.
The competition clock begins when instructed by the officials.
Installers will be required to complete their assigned panel within the designated time.
WHAT JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR
Wrap installations will be evaluated for:
• Surface preparation
• Material handling
• Film positioning
• Stretch management
• Corners
• Edges
• Recesses where applicable
• Wrinkles and imperfections
• Cuts and finishing
• Overall presentation
• Completion within the time limit
Damaging the vehicle, competition equipment or material through unsafe cutting practices may result in penalties or disqualification.
The strongest installers will advance to the final round.
Finalists will face a larger or more difficult installation area, with the highest-scoring installation determining the champion.
🏆 CANADIAN WRAP CHAMPION 2027
🇨🇦 VS 🇺🇸 CROSS BORDER SHOWDOWN
CANADA VS. USA
One of the biggest moments of the weekend.
The Cross Border Showdown brings selected installers from Canada and the United States onto the same competition floor.
This is about representing your country while demonstrating professional installation skills in front of the North American industry.
🇨🇦 TEAM CANADA
VS.
🇺🇸 TEAM USA
FORMAT
Installers will compete using equivalent glass, film, tools and working conditions.
The Cross Border Showdown may include multiple installation challenges designed to test different aspects of professional window tinting.
Challenges may include:
Automotive side-window installation
Film shrinking
Rear-window installation
Precision cutting and finishing
Speed and quality challenges
The exact challenge will be announced to competitors before the competition.
TEAM SCORING
Each completed challenge will be evaluated by the official judging panel.
Points will be awarded based on installation quality and successful completion of each challenge.
Individual results will contribute toward the country's overall team score.
After all scheduled challenges have been completed, the country with the highest combined score will be declared the:
🏆 2027 CROSS BORDER SHOWDOWN CHAMPION
🇨🇦 CANADA vs. USA 🇺🇸
⏱️ TIME LIMITS
Every competition will have a clearly defined time limit.
Official time limits will be provided during the competitor briefing and may vary by round.
Competitors who do not complete an installation within the allotted time may still have completed work evaluated, depending on the rules of that specific round.
Judges may apply an incomplete-installation penalty.
📊 GENERAL JUDGING PRINCIPLES
Our judging system is designed to reward professional-quality installations, not simply the fastest installer.
Depending on the competition, judges will consider:
INSTALLATION QUALITY — 40%
Contamination, creases, bubbles, fingers, finishing and overall appearance.
PRECISION & EDGES — 20%
Gap consistency, cuts, corners, edges and accuracy.
TECHNIQUE & FILM CONTROL — 15%
Professional handling of the material and execution of the installation.
COMPLETION & TIME MANAGEMENT — 15%
Ability to successfully complete the required work within the competition period.
PROFESSIONALISM & WORK AREA — 10%
Organization, safety, cleanliness and professional working practices.
Final scoring weights may be adjusted for each competition. Official scorecards will be provided before competition begins.
⚠️ PENALTIES
Point deductions may be issued for:
• Excessive contamination
• Creases or film damage
• Excessive gaps
• Poor edge finishing
• Incomplete installations
• Working after time expires
• Using unauthorized assistance
• Using unauthorized materials
• Unsafe tool use
• Damage to competition property
• Failure to follow competition officials' instructions
Serious violations may result in disqualification.
🚫 IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION
A competitor may be removed from competition for:
Intentional damage to a vehicle or competition equipment
Cheating or receiving unauthorized assistance
Interfering with another competitor
Tampering with another competitor's work or equipment
Threatening, abusive or dangerous behaviour
Repeatedly ignoring instructions from competition officials
Using prohibited materials or equipment after being instructed not to
Sportsmanship is mandatory.
🧰 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Competitors will receive advance information regarding which tools they may bring.
Certain materials — including competition film, wrap material, glass and vehicles — may be supplied by the event to maintain consistency.
Competitors may be permitted to use their own approved installation tools.
Any restricted tools or materials will be identified before competition day.
👨⚖️ JUDGING
Installations will be evaluated by an official judging panel.
Whenever practical, judging will use standardized scoring sheets so competitors are evaluated using the same criteria.
Judges may inspect installations from multiple angles and lighting conditions.
Once official scores are submitted and verified, the results are final.
🤝 SPORTSMANSHIP
This event exists to level up the industry.
Competition should be intense.
Respect should be stronger.
Competitors are expected to treat fellow installers, judges, volunteers, sponsors, vehicles and equipment professionally.
Celebrate great installations — even when they belong to the person competing beside you.
📋 COMPETITOR MEETING
A mandatory competitor briefing will take place before competition begins.
Officials will review:
Competition format • Time limits • Workstations • Approved tools • Materials • Judging criteria • Penalties • Advancement rules • Safety procedures
Competitors will have an opportunity to ask rule-related questions before competition begins.
Once the competition clock starts, competitors are considered to have accepted the official rules.
FINAL RULES & SCORECARDS
This page provides the overall competition framework.
Final technical rules, exact time limits, supplied materials, scoring sheets, advancement numbers and competition-specific requirements will be released before the event.
The Canadian Tint Expo reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to competition formats when required for safety, scheduling, equipment availability or competitive fairness.
Any material rule changes will be communicated to registered competitors.
STEP UP AND COMPETE.
You can watch installers online every day.
This is different.
This is your opportunity to step onto the floor, work against the clock and show the industry what you can do.
Represent your shop.
Represent your city.
Represent your country.
CANADIAN TINT EXPO & COMPETITION
April 3rd & 4th, 2027
📍 Niagara Falls Convention Centre
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
COMPETE. LEARN. NETWORK.
WHO WILL STEP UP IN NIAGARA FALLS?
GET THE FULL SCORE CARD FOR OUR 2027 EVENT - CLICK HERE