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When I was just 10, I came across a feature in my local paper about the World Air Guitar Competition, which take place every year in my birthplace of Oulu, Finland. My parents had helped out at the very first contest back in 1996 – mom distributed flyers, my father organized the music. From that point, country-level contests have been staged globally, with the titleholders converging in Oulu each August.

Back then, I requested permission if I could participate. At first they were hesitant; the show was in a bar, and there would be many grown-ups. They thought it might be an intimidating atmosphere, but I was determined.

In my youth, I was always performing air guitar, acting out to the most popular rock tunes with my make-believe instrument. My parents were music fans – my father loved The Boss and U2. the band AC/DC was the original act I found independently. the guitarist, the guitar hero, was my idol.

Upon entering the spotlight, I performed my act to the band's Whole Lotta Rosie. The crowd started yelling “Angus”, reminiscent of the live recording, and it struck me: so this is to be a guitar hero. I made it to the finals, playing to crowds in the town square, and I was captivated. I got the nickname “Little Angus” that day.

After that I stopped. I was a referee one year, and kicked off the show on another occasion, but I didn’t compete. I returned at 18, experimented with various stage names, but fans continued using “Little Angus” so I accepted it fully and adopt “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve made it to the final each competition since then, and in 2023 I was the runner-up, so I was resolved to claim victory this year.

Our global network is like a family. Our guiding principle is ‘Create music, not conflict’. It may seem funny, but it’s a real philosophy.

The event is intense but joyful. Participants have 60 seconds to deliver maximum effort – dynamic presence, perfect mime, stage magnetism – on an nonexistent axe. The panel rate you on a scale from a specific numeric range. In the case of a tie, there’s an “tiebreaker” between the final two contestants: a song plays and you improvise.

Preparation is everything. I picked an a metal group song for my performance. I listened to it on a loop for a long time. I stretched constantly, trying to get my lower body prepared enough to bound, my fingers quick enough to copy riffs and my spine ready for those moves and leaps. When the big day arrived, I could feel the song in my being.

Once all acts were done, the results were tallied, and I had matched with the winner from Japan, Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo – it was time for an tiebreaker. We went head-to-head to the Guns N’ Roses hit by the iconic band. As the music started, I felt relieved because it was familiar to me, and more than anything I was so excited to perform one more time. As they declared I’d won, the venue went wild.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I zoned out from shock. Then the crowd started performing Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World and raised me up on to their backs. A former champion – also known as Nordic Thunder – a past winner and one of my dear companions, was hugging me. I wept. I was Finland’s first air guitar global winner in two and a half decades. The previous Finnish champion, the earlier victor, was also present. He gave me the biggest hug and said it was “long overdue”.

The air guitar community is like a support system. Our motto is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It may seem humorous, but it’s a real philosophy. Participants come from many countries, and all involved is helpful and motivating. Prior to performing, every competitor offers an embrace. Then for one minute you’re free to be uninhibited, humorous, the top performer in the world.

Besides that, I'm a beat keeper and string player in a musical act with my sibling called the group title, named after the football manager, as we’re fans of British music genres. I’ve been bartending for a few years now, and I create short films and performance clips. The title hasn’t altered my routine too much but I’ve been doing a lot of press, and I hope it results in more artistic projects. My hometown will be a designated cultural center next year, so there are exciting things ahead.

For now, I’m just thankful: for the network, for the chance to perform, and for that budding enthusiast who picked up a newspaper and thought, “I want to do that.”