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When I was just 10, I discovered a story in my community gazette about the Global Air Guitar Contest, held annually every year in my hometown of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had volunteered at the very first contest back in 1996 – my mum distributed flyers, my father organized the music. Since then, country-level contests have been organized in many nations, with the winners gathering in Oulu each August.

At the time, I requested permission if I could enter. At first they were hesitant; the competition was in a bar, and there would be many grown-ups. They felt it might be an overwhelming atmosphere, but I was set on it.

As a kid, I was always miming air guitar, miming along to the iconic rock tunes with my make-believe instrument. Mom and Dad were music fans – dad loved The Boss and the Irish rock band. AC/DC was the original act I found independently. the guitarist, the frontman guitarist, was my idol.

When I stepped on stage, I performed my act to the band's the song Whole Lotta Rosie. The crowd started yelling “Angus”, reminiscent of the live recording, and it hit me: this is what it feels like to be a guitar hero. I made it to the finals, performing to crowds in the public plaza, and I was hooked. I got the nickname “Little Angus” that day.

After that I stopped. I was a judge one year, and kicked off the show once more, but I didn’t compete. I went back at 18, experimented with various stage names, but fans continued using “Little Angus” so I embraced it and choose “The Angus” as my artist name. I’ve made it to the final every year since 2022, and in 2023 I was the runner-up, so I was set to claim victory this year.

The air guitar community is like a close-knit group. The saying we live by is ‘Play air guitar, avoid battles’. Though it appears humorous, but it’s a real philosophy.

The contest is high-energy yet fun. Contestants have one minute to deliver maximum effort – explosive energy, precise mimicry, stage magnetism – on an imaginary instrument. The panel evaluate you on a scale from four to six. In the case of a tie, there’s an “tiebreaker” between the remaining participants: a song plays and you freestyle.

Training is crucial. I picked an a metal group song for my performance. I played it repeatedly for a long time. I did regular stretches, trying to get my lower body prepared enough to bound, my fingers fast enough to imitate guitar parts and my spine prepared for those gestures and hops. By the time the big day dawned, I could feel the song in my being.

Once all acts were done, the scores came in, and I had drawn with the titleholder from Japan, Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo – it was occasion for an tiebreaker. We competed directly to that classic rock anthem by Guns N’ Roses. As the music started, I felt relieved because it was familiar to me, and primarily I was so eager to play again. When they announced I’d triumphed, the venue exploded.

My memory is blurry. I think I zoned out from the excitement. Then all present started singing the song the anthem Rockin' in the Free World and raised me up on to their arms. Justin Howard – alias his stage name – a past winner and one of my dear companions, was hugging me. I shed tears. I was the first Finnish air guitar global winner in a quarter-century. The prior titleholder, the earlier victor, was in attendance as well. He bestowed upon me the warmest embrace and said it was “long overdue”.

Our global network is like a family. Our motto is “Create music, not conflict”. It sounds silly, but it’s a true way of life. Competitors come from globally, and everyone is supportive and encouraging. As you prepare to compete, each contestant comes and hugs you. Then for a brief period you’re able to be uninhibited, playful, the top performer in the world.

Besides that, I'm a drummer and string player in a musical act with my brother called the group title, named after the sports figure, as we’re fans of Britpop and new wave. I’ve been working in bars for a few years now, and I direct short films and music videos. The title hasn’t changed my day-to-day life too much but I’ve been doing a extensive media, and I hope it results in more artistic projects. The city will be a cultural hub next year, so there are great prospects.

For now, I’m just grateful: for the network, for the opportunity to play, and for that little kid who read an article and thought, “I want to do that.”