OULU, Finland (AP) - Contestants from 10 countries were fine-tuning their imaginary Stratocasters Friday for the final showdown in the Air Guitar World Championships.
Both professional and amateur performers were taking part in the two-day event in northern Finland, battling it out for the "King of the Air" title.
The quality on display was variable at best during qualifying at 45 Special, a rock club in Oulu, near the Arctic Circle.
The surprise of the qualifying round was Oulu native Hilkka "Gore Kitty" Suvanto, who has twice before scored the lowest points ever in the qualifying round but now achieved a perfect six from many of the judges.
She was to challenge the reining champion, Ochi "Dainoji" Yosuke of Japan in the final late Friday, which also was to include contestants from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Spain.
One of the favourites for the title was American Andrew "William Ocean" Litz, who cannot actually play the guitar but whose act ends in a spectacular backflip onto an empty beer can.
A panel of four judges score the air guitarists on an "Olympic figure skating scale" - 6.0 being best - based on technical prowess, stage persona and a more opaque quality known as "airness."
The finalists were to perform a song of their own choice as well as improvise to a song chosen by the jury.
The winner gets a custom-made Flying Finn electric guitar worth US$3,400.
Copyright © 2007 Canadian Press
Both professional and amateur performers were taking part in the two-day event in northern Finland, battling it out for the "King of the Air" title.
The quality on display was variable at best during qualifying at 45 Special, a rock club in Oulu, near the Arctic Circle.
The surprise of the qualifying round was Oulu native Hilkka "Gore Kitty" Suvanto, who has twice before scored the lowest points ever in the qualifying round but now achieved a perfect six from many of the judges.
She was to challenge the reining champion, Ochi "Dainoji" Yosuke of Japan in the final late Friday, which also was to include contestants from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Spain.
One of the favourites for the title was American Andrew "William Ocean" Litz, who cannot actually play the guitar but whose act ends in a spectacular backflip onto an empty beer can.
A panel of four judges score the air guitarists on an "Olympic figure skating scale" - 6.0 being best - based on technical prowess, stage persona and a more opaque quality known as "airness."
The finalists were to perform a song of their own choice as well as improvise to a song chosen by the jury.
The winner gets a custom-made Flying Finn electric guitar worth US$3,400.
Copyright © 2007 Canadian Press