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When I was just 10, I discovered a article in my community gazette about the World Air Guitar Competition, which take place every year in my native city of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had participated at the inaugural contest starting from 1996 – my mum distributed flyers, my dad managed the music. Ever since, country-level contests have been held all across the world, with the titleholders assembling in Oulu every summer.

Back then, I inquired with my family if I could participate. Initially they had doubts; the show was in a bar, and there would be a lot of adults. They believed it might be an daunting atmosphere, but I was determined.

As a kid, I was always miming air guitar, acting out to the biggest rock tunes with my imaginary instrument. My parents were lovers of music – my father loved Springsteen and U2. AC/DC was the initial group I stumbled upon myself. the guitarist, the frontman guitarist, was my hero.

As I took the stage, I did my routine to AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. The audience started shouting “Angus”, similar to the album track, and it dawned on me: so this is to be a rock star. I made it to the finals, playing to a large audience in the public plaza, and I was captivated. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

After that I stopped. I was a judge one year, and started the show once more, but I didn’t compete. I came back at 18, tried a few different stage names, but fans continued using “Little Angus” so I embraced it and choose “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 determined to win this year.

The air guitar community is like a support system. Our motto is ‘Play air guitar, avoid battles’. It sounds silly, but it’s a real philosophy.

The competition itself is competitive but uplifting. Contestants have a short window to deliver maximum effort – explosive energy, flawless imitation, rock star charisma – on an nonexistent axe. Adjudicators evaluate you on a scale from a specific numeric range. In the case of a tie, there’s an “air-off” between the remaining participants: a song plays and you freestyle.

Training is crucial. I chose an the band Avenged Sevenfold song for my routine. I played it repeatedly for multiple weeks. I did regular stretches, trying to get my limbs prepared enough to jump, my fingers quick enough to copy riffs and my upper body set for those gestures and hops. Once competition day dawned, I could feel the song in my soul.

After everyone had performed, the results were tallied, and I had matched with the Japanese champion, a competitor known as Sudo-chan – it was time for an final showdown. We went head-to-head to that classic rock anthem by the iconic band. Once the track began, I felt at ease because it was one that I knew, and above all I was so thrilled to have another go. When they announced I’d triumphed, the venue exploded.

The moment is hazy. I think I lost consciousness from the excitement. Then the crowd started chanting the classic tune Rockin’ in the Free World and hoisted me on to their backs. One of the greats – also known as his stage name – a previous titleholder and one of my dear companions, was holding me. I wept. I was the inaugural from Finland air guitar global winner in a quarter-century. The previous Finnish champion, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was also present. He gave me the warmest embrace and said it was “about damn time”.

The air guitar community is like a support system. The phrase we live by is “Make air, not war”. It may seem humorous, but it’s a real philosophy. Participants come from many countries, and each person is positive and uplifting. Before you go on stage, all participants offers an embrace. Then for a brief period you’re free to be uninhibited, humorous, the top performer in the world.

Besides that, I'm a percussionist and string player in a group with my sibling called the band name, named after the football manager, as we’re inspired by British music genres. I’ve been serving drinks for a couple of years, and I create mini movies and music videos. The title hasn’t affected my daily activities too much but I’ve been doing a many interviews, and I aspire it leads to more artistic projects. Oulu will be a designated cultural center soon, so there are exciting things ahead.

For now, I’m just grateful: for the community, for the chance to perform, and for that young child who found a story and thought, “That's for me.”