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At the age of 10, I discovered a feature in my hometown newspaper about the Air Guitar World Championships, which take place every year in my hometown of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had volunteered at the very first contest since 1996 – my mother gave out flyers, dad managed the music. Since then, country-level contests have been organized all across the world, with the titleholders assembling in Oulu each August.

Back then, I asked my parents if I could participate. At first they were hesitant; the competition was in a bar, and there would be many grown-ups. They believed it might be an daunting atmosphere, but I was resolved.

As a kid, I was always performing air guitar, miming along to the most popular rock tunes with my invisible instrument. My family were lovers of music – dad loved Springsteen and U2. AC/DC was the first band I stumbled upon myself. Angus Young, the frontman guitarist, was my hero.

When I stepped on stage, I played my set to AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. The audience started shouting “Angus”, reminiscent of the album track, and it struck me: this is what it feels like to be a music icon. I made it to the finals, competing to hundreds of people in the public plaza, and I was hooked. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

Later I paused. 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 make “The Angus” as my stage name. I’ve reached the finals every year since 2022, and in 2023 I came second, so I was set to take the title this year.

Our global network is like a support system. The saying we live by is ‘Create music, not conflict’. Though it appears humorous, but it’s a genuine belief.

The contest is competitive but uplifting. Participants have a short window to put their all – explosive energy, precise mimicry, performance charm – on an imaginary instrument. Adjudicators evaluate you on a grading system from a specific numeric range. When it's a draw, there’s an “air-off” between the remaining participants: a song plays and you improvise.

Training is crucial. I chose an Avenged Sevenfold song for my act. I played it repeatedly for weeks. I practiced flexibility, trying to get my limbs flexible enough to leap, my digits quick enough to imitate guitar parts and my spine ready for those gestures and hops. Once the event arrived, I could internalize the track in my soul.

Once all acts were done, the results were tallied, and I had drawn with the Japanese champion, the Japanese titleholder – it was time for an final showdown. We competed directly to that classic rock anthem by the rock group. When I heard the song, I felt at ease because it was familiar to me, and more than anything I was so thrilled to perform one more time. When they announced I’d emerged victorious, the square erupted.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I blacked out from the excitement. Then everyone started chanting the song that well-known track and lifted me on to their arms. Justin Howard – alias his stage name – a past winner and one of my best pals, was hugging me. I wept. I was the inaugural from Finland air guitar international titleholder in two and a half decades. The previous Finnish champion, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was in attendance as well. He gave me the warmest embrace and said it was “long overdue”.

Our global network is like a family. Our guiding saying is “Create music, not conflict”. It sounds silly, but it’s a real philosophy. Participants come from many countries, and all involved is helpful and motivating. As you prepare to compete, all participants comes and hugs you. Then for a brief period you’re able to be free, silly, the top performer in the world.

Additionally, I am a drummer and guitarist in a group with my family member called the band name, named after Gareth Southgate, as we’re influenced by Britpop and new wave. I’ve been working in bars for a couple of years, and I direct independent videos and song visuals. Winning hasn’t changed my day-to-day life drastically but I’ve been doing a lot of press, and I hope it leads to more innovative opportunities. Oulu will be a designated cultural center next year, so there are promising opportunities.

For now, I’m just thankful: for the community, for the chance to perform, and for that budding enthusiast who read an article and thought, “I want to do that.”