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At the age of 10, I read about a story in my hometown newspaper about the Air Guitar World Championships, held annually every year in my birthplace of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had volunteered at the pioneering contest back in 1996 – my mother gave out flyers, dad sorted the music. From that point, national championships have been staged all across the world, with the titleholders gathering in Oulu each August.

At the time, I asked my parents if I could participate. They weren't sure at first; the competition was in a bar, and there would be an older crowd. They thought it might be an overwhelming atmosphere, but I was set on it.

During childhood, I was always “playing” air guitar, pretending to play to the iconic rock tunes with my make-believe instrument. Mom and Dad were enthusiasts – my dad loved Springsteen and U2. the band AC/DC was the first band I found independently. the lead guitarist, the lead guitarist, was my idol.

Upon entering the spotlight, I played my set to the band's Whole Lotta Rosie. The crowd started shouting “Angus”, just like the live recording, and it hit me: so this is to be a guitar hero. I made it to the finals, competing to crowds in the town square, and I was captivated. I earned the moniker “Little Angus” that day.

Later I paused. I was a adjudicator one year, and started the show another time, but I didn’t compete. I went back at 18, experimented with various stage names, but people kept calling me “Little Angus” so I decided to own it and adopt “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve qualified for the last round every year since 2022, and in 2023 I was the runner-up, so I was determined to take the title this year.

Our global network is like a family. Our guiding principle 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 a short window to put their all – dynamic presence, perfect mime, 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 “tiebreaker” between the final two contestants: a tune begins and you freestyle.

Training is crucial. I picked an Avenged Sevenfold song for my act. I played it repeatedly for weeks. I did regular stretches, trying to get my lower body flexible enough to bound, my fingers quick enough to mimic solos and my upper body set 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 drawn with the winner from Japan, a competitor known as Sudo-chan – it was moment for an air-off. We competed directly to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the iconic band. Once the track began, I felt at ease because it was one that I knew, and more than anything I was so excited to play again. Once the results were read I’d won, the square went wild.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I blacked out from the excitement. Then the crowd started chanting the classic tune the anthem Rockin' in the Free World and hoisted me on to their shoulders. One of the greats – also known as his performer title – a previous titleholder and one of my closest friends, was hugging me. I shed tears. I was Finland’s first air guitar global winner in a quarter-century. The previous Finnish champion, the earlier victor, was there, too. He gave me the biggest hug and said it was “finally happening”.

The air guitar community is like a family. The phrase we live by is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It sounds silly, but it’s a genuine belief. Participants come from globally, and all involved is positive and uplifting. As you prepare to compete, each contestant offers an embrace. Then for a brief period you’re allowed to be free, playful, 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 inspired by British music genres. I’ve been serving drinks for a few years now, and I direct short films and song visuals. The victory hasn’t changed my day-to-day life drastically but I’ve been doing a many interviews, and I aspire it results in more innovative opportunities. The city will be a cultural hub the coming year, so there are promising opportunities.

At present, I’m just appreciative: for the group, for the chance to perform, and for that budding enthusiast who picked up a newspaper and thought, “I want to do that.”