Some guitarists jump and slide across the stage, shaking their hair to the music. It’s no different at a World Cup in Finland. There’s just one thing missing.
It is probably one of the most curious competitions – and it was won by a Canadian: Zachary Knowles is the world champion in air guitar playing. Knowles, known by his nickname “Ichabod Fame”, beat 15 competitors in the final in Oulo, Finland. It was his first participation in the air guitar world championship, which advertises itself with the motto “Make Air, Not War”.
“I didn’t do this alone,” the new world champion wrote in his Instagram story and thanked everyone who supported him.
Last year’s winner Kirill “Guitarantula” Blumenkrants, who competes for France, shared second place with Japanese Nanami “Seven Seas” Nagura. German participant Patrick Culek, known as “Ehrwolf”, came fourth.
The World Championship is part of the August Festival in the Oulo region with music, art, literature and performance and has been held since 1996. In 2020 and 2021 the event was cancelled due to the corona pandemic.
The air guitar world championship is not the only strange competition held in Finland. The world championship in woman carrying is held every year in the town of Sonkajärvi. The winner is the person who carries their partner through an obstacle course the fastest. The winning couple receives the weight of the person being carried in beer.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
