The Frenchman Sylvain Quimene repeated last year’s feat to walk away with the crown – or guitar – at the fifteenth annual air guitar championship in Oulu.

Quimene “out aired” compatriot Soraya “Eva Gina Runner”, who placed second, and Canadian Cole “Johnny Utah” Manson, who claimed the third berth.

The winner of the competition walked away with a real hand-crafted guitar.

Twenty air guitarists competed in the finals, hailing from Japan, Malaysia, Britain, Canada, The United States, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

Finland also fielded two competitors in the final, 17-year old Eero “Oulu’s own” Ojala and ten-year old Aapo “Little Angus” Rautio, who eventually went on to place sixth overall.

Ten would-be guitarists went on to compete in the first round of the final, where they played a selection fo their own choice. The compulsory piece for the second round of the final was Foxy Lady, originally picked out by the legendary Jimmy [sic] Hendrix. The finalists were told the name of the piece just moments before their performances.

The judges evaluating the competitors’ skill were Juha Torvinen of Finland, José González, Spin Magazoíne’s Andy Beta, Raphael Monnanteuil, the organizer of the Belgin leg of the competition and British organizer Zac Monro.

The first competition took place back in 1996, when Oikku Ylinen of Ilmajoki emerged victorious.

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