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At the age of 10, I discovered a story in my community gazette about the Air Guitar World Championships, held annually every year in my native city of Oulu, Finland. My parents had volunteered at the inaugural contest starting from 1996 – my mother gave out flyers, dad organized the music. Ever since, domestic competitions have been held in many nations, with the champions gathering in Oulu every summer.

Back then, I requested permission if I could compete. They weren't sure at first; the event was in a bar, and there would be a lot of adults. They thought it might be an overwhelming atmosphere, but I was set on it.

In my youth, I was always miming air guitar, pretending to play to the most popular rock tunes with my imaginary instrument. My parents were music fans – my father loved Bruce Springsteen and the Irish rock band. the Australian rockers was the initial group I stumbled upon myself. Angus Young, the guitar hero, was my inspiration.

When I stepped on stage, I performed my act to AC/DC’s that classic track. The audience started yelling “Angus”, similar to the live recording, and it struck me: so this is to be a music icon. I reached the championship, competing to hundreds of people in the public plaza, and I was addicted. I was dubbed “Little Angus” that day.

Then I took a break. I was a referee one year, and opened for the show once more, but I didn't participate. I came back at 18, experimented with various stage names, but fans continued using “Little Angus” so I embraced it and choose “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve qualified for the last round annually from 2022 onward, and in 2023 I placed second, so I was determined to claim victory this year.

The worldwide group is like a support system. Our motto is ‘Create music, not conflict’. It may seem funny, but it’s a real philosophy.

The competition itself is high-energy yet fun. Participants have a short window to give everything – high-powered performance, flawless imitation, stage magnetism – on an invisible guitar. Judges evaluate you on a point range from a specific numeric range. In the case of a tie, there’s an “air-off” between the final two contestants: a tune begins and you create on the spot.

Preparation is everything. I picked an Avenged Sevenfold song for my routine. I played it repeatedly for weeks. I did regular stretches, trying to get my limbs flexible enough to leap, my hands nimble enough to imitate guitar parts and my back set for those moves and leaps. Once competition day came, I could sense the music in my soul.

After everyone had performed, the results were tallied, and I had tied with the Japanese champion, the Japanese titleholder – it was time for an final showdown. We competed directly to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the iconic band. As the music started, I felt relieved because it was a tune I recognized, and primarily I was so excited to perform one more time. When they announced I’d triumphed, the venue erupted.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I lost consciousness from surprise. Then the crowd started singing the classic tune the anthem Rockin' in the Free World and raised me up on to their arms. A former champion – alias his stage name – a past winner and one of my closest friends, was embracing me. I shed tears. I was the first Finnish air guitar international titleholder in two and a half decades. The previous Finnish champion, Markus “Black Raven” Vainionpää, was also present. He gave me the biggest hug and said it was “about damn time”.

Our global network is like a support system. Our guiding saying is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. Though it appears comical, but it’s a real philosophy. People come from many countries, and all involved is positive and uplifting. Before you go on stage, every competitor offers an embrace. Then for 60 seconds you’re allowed to be uninhibited, silly, the ultimate music icon in the world.

Besides that, I'm a percussionist and string player in a band with my family member called the Southgates, named after the football manager, as we’re fans of UK rock and post-punk. I’ve been bartending for a few years now, and I direct mini movies and music videos. The victory hasn’t affected my daily activities too much but I’ve been doing a many interviews, and I hope it brings more innovative opportunities. My hometown will be a designated cultural center next year, so there are promising opportunities.

For now, I’m just thankful: for the community, for the ability to compete, and for that young child who found a story and thought, “I'd love to try that.”