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At the age of 10, I read about a story in my community gazette about the Global Air Guitar Contest, that happens every year in my birthplace of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had volunteered at the inaugural contest starting from 1996 – my mum gave out flyers, dad sorted the music. Since then, country-level contests have been held globally, with the winners assembling in Oulu each August.

At the time, I requested permission if I could participate. They weren't sure at first; the competition was in a bar, and there would be an older crowd. They felt it might be an intimidating atmosphere, but I was resolved.

During childhood, I was always performing air guitar, pretending to play to the iconic rock tunes with my invisible instrument. Mom and Dad were enthusiasts – dad loved Bruce Springsteen and the Irish rock band. the Australian rockers was the first band I discovered on my own. Angus Young, the guitar hero, was my hero.

When I stepped on stage, I performed my act to AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. The spectators started chanting “Angus”, similar to the album track, and it hit me: this must be to be a music icon. I reached the championship, competing to hundreds of people in the public plaza, and I was captivated. I got the nickname “Little Angus” that day.

After that I stopped. I was a referee one year, and kicked off the show on another occasion, but I stayed out of the contest. I went back at 18, tested out several stage names, but everyone still referred to me as “Little Angus” so I accepted it fully and adopt “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.

The air guitar community is like a support system. Our guiding principle is ‘Play air guitar, avoid battles’. It may seem funny, but it’s a genuine belief.

The contest is competitive but uplifting. Competitors have a short window to put their all – dynamic presence, precise mimicry, stage magnetism – on an imaginary instrument. Judges score you on a scale from a specific numeric range. When it's a draw, there’s an “tiebreaker” between the final two contestants: a track is selected and you improvise.

Training is crucial. I selected an a metal group song for my act. I had it on repeat for a long time. I did regular stretches, trying to get my lower body flexible enough to leap, my fingers nimble enough to copy riffs and my back set for those moves and leaps. Once competition day arrived, I could internalize the track in my soul.

Once all acts were done, the points were announced, and I had tied with the titleholder from Japan, Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo – it was time for an tiebreaker. We competed directly to that classic rock anthem by the iconic band. As the music started, I felt at ease because it was familiar to me, and above all I was so excited to have another go. Once the results were read I’d emerged victorious, the square went wild.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I lost consciousness from shock. Then the crowd started singing Neil Young’s the anthem Rockin' in the Free World and hoisted me on to their arms. A former champion – also known as Nordic Thunder – a former champion and one of my closest friends, was embracing me. I cried. I was the inaugural from Finland air guitar international titleholder in 25 years. The previous Finnish champion, the former champion, was also present. He bestowed upon me the warmest embrace and said it was “finally happening”.

The air guitar community is like a close-knit group. The phrase we live by is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It sounds silly, but it’s a genuine belief. People come from globally, and each person is helpful and motivating. Before you go on stage, every competitor comes and hugs you. Then for 60 seconds you’re allowed to be uninhibited, playful, the ultimate music icon in the world.

Additionally, I am a beat keeper and musician in a band with my sibling called the band name, named after Gareth Southgate, as we’re influenced by British music genres. I’ve been working in bars for a few years now, and I direct short films and music videos. Winning hasn’t changed my day-to-day life significantly but I’ve been doing a lot of press, and I hope it results in more artistic projects. My hometown will be a designated cultural center soon, so there are promising opportunities.

For now, I’m just grateful: for the community, for the chance to perform, and for that young child who read an article and thought, “I'd love to try that.”