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Back when I was 10, I read about a story in my local paper about the World Air Guitar Competition, held annually every year in my native city of Oulu, Finland. Mom and Dad had volunteered at the inaugural contest since 1996 – my mother distributed flyers, dad sorted the music. Ever since, domestic competitions have been staged in many nations, with the winners converging in Oulu every summer.

Initially, I asked my parents if I could participate. At first they were hesitant; the show was in a bar, and there would be a lot of adults. They thought it might be an daunting atmosphere, but I was resolved.

In my youth, I was always miming air guitar, pretending to play to the iconic rock tunes with my invisible instrument. My parents were music fans – my dad loved Bruce Springsteen and U2. the Australian rockers was the first band I stumbled upon myself. the lead guitarist, the frontman guitarist, was my idol.

When I stepped on stage, I played my set to AC/DC’s that classic track. The crowd started yelling “Angus”, similar to the live recording, and it dawned on me: this must be to be a music icon. I made it to the finals, playing to a large audience in the public plaza, and I was hooked. I got the nickname “Little Angus” that day.

Then I took a break. I was a judge one year, and started the show once more, but I didn’t compete. I returned at 18, experimented with various stage names, but people kept calling me “Little Angus” so I embraced it and adopt “The Angus” as my performance alias. I’ve qualified for the last round annually from 2022 onward, and in 2023 I was the runner-up, so I was resolved to claim victory this year.

The worldwide group is like a family. Our guiding principle is ‘Make air, not war’. It sounds silly, but it’s a genuine belief.

The contest is intense but joyful. Competitors have 60 seconds to put their all – explosive energy, precise mimicry, stage magnetism – on an imaginary instrument. The panel score you on a grading system from a specific numeric range. If scores are equal, there’s an “showdown” between the final two contestants: a song plays and you improvise.

Preparation is everything. I picked an the band Avenged Sevenfold song for my performance. I played it repeatedly for multiple weeks. I practiced flexibility, trying to get my legs prepared enough to jump, my hands fast enough to imitate guitar parts and my upper body ready for those bends and jumps. By the time competition day came, I could internalize the track in my bones.

Once all acts were done, the results were tallied, and I had drawn with the winner from Japan, Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo – it was moment for an final showdown. We faced off to Sweet Child o’ Mine by the iconic band. Once the track began, I felt comforted because it was familiar to me, and above all I was so excited to perform one more time. As they declared I’d triumphed, the square erupted.

It's all a bit fuzzy. I think I blacked out from shock. Then all present started singing the song that well-known track and hoisted me on to their shoulders. A former champion – also known as his stage name – a former champion and one of my best pals, was holding 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 there, too. He gave me the warmest embrace and said it was “long overdue”.

Our global network is like a support system. Our guiding saying is “Focus on fun, not fighting”. It sounds silly, but it’s a genuine belief. People come from many countries, and everyone is helpful and motivating. As you prepare to compete, every competitor offers an embrace. Then for 60 seconds you’re allowed to be yourself, humorous, the biggest rock star in the world.

I’m also a beat keeper and string player in a group with my sibling called the band name, inspired by the sports figure, as we’re influenced by Britpop and new wave. I’ve been serving drinks for a couple of years, and I direct short films and song visuals. Winning hasn’t affected my daily activities significantly but I’ve been doing a lot of press, and I wish it leads to more creative work. The city will be a European capital of culture the coming year, so there are great prospects.

For now, I’m just grateful: for the group, for the opportunity to play, and for that little kid who picked up a newspaper and thought, “I want to do that.”