Björn broke the Air Guitar World Champs story in a web-slash-photo blog, or wephlog, for SPIN magazine.  See and smell all the backstage deets here.

Air Guitarists Invade Finland

Dan Crane knows this universe better than anyone. Under his moniker Björn Türoque, he's competed at the world championship level (but never took home the top prize), written the book on air guitar (2006's To Air Is Human), and starred in Air Guitar Nation, a widely-released documentary.

What follows is Dan's personal account of the just-completed 2010 championships, featuring air shredding galore, saunas, sausages, beer mugs smashed on heads, and cameos by OK Go and Jose Gonzalez.

It's hard to explain why anyone would travel thousands of miles from across the globe to a small city in Northern Finland in order to play an invisible guitar for 60 seconds (120 if you make it to the second round). Yet, this year at the event's 15th anniversary, representatives from 20 countries as far as Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Slovakia, Ukraine, and of course the U.S., descended upon Oulu seeking air guitar glory.

Read the whole store here!

Romeo DanceCheetah gives Finland his oh-face. Photo by lucky bastard West Hays.

Gunthar Love took Friday's Air Guitar World Championships for the second year in a row, but after scoring (big time) Romeo DanceCheetah got the Finnish People's Choice Award.

There was a typo in the registration packet.  It streams live at 8:20 PM Finnish time.

Just click "sign up" and give them a fake email.  It'll log you right in.  Stream also available here.

1. Russia: Alexander "Devilseducer" Gott
2. Finland: Aapo "Little Angus" Rautio
3. Belgium: Kevin "Narvalwaker" Leloux
4. Australia: Cameron "Tommy Thundah" Bunney
5. Ireland: Deku Chan "Deku Chan"
6. Brazil: Alan "Xirtam" Foster  
7. Belgium: Corentin Fermont “AirGus”        
8. Denmark: Soren Stenbjerg Gregersen "Big G"
9. Canada: Cole Manson “Johnny Utah”             
10. Japan: Toshihiko Sunabe “SUNANEY”      
11. France: Soraya Garlenq "Eva Gina Runner"
12. Switzerland: Dirk Lüdi "Swiss Dirty Airy"       
13. Finland: Eero Ojala "Oulun oma poika"     
14. Germany: Christian Sweep ”Heart Buckboard”
15. Malaysia: (Albert) Chuah Eng Beng "L-bird" 
16. Slovakia: Peter Kurišcák "Pete Peacemaker"   
17. USA: Matt Cornelison "Romeo DanceCheetah"       
18. Sylvain Guimene "Günther Love"               
19. Russia: Kirill Blumenkrantz “Your Daddy” 
20. Ukraine:  Reko Gamrekelidze "Baron horse-stealer"
21. UK: Thom Wilding "W!ld Th!ng 37"                 
22. Czech republic: Bedrich Levi "Mr Babinoska"
23. Mexico: Karla Mendoza "Gotika"               



HOT LIXX HULAHAN (Craig Billmeier–USA '05, 07, '09, World Champion 2008) and ATC (West Hays—6th place Phoenix, AZ 2008) were joined by Air Guitar Ireland and local all male nude revue owner Tsirhc Süsej on the Dark Horse judging panel late Thursday night.

The all-star panel of judges sent three men and one child to the Air Guitar World Championships.  With these new additions, there will be 23 competitors from all over the planet, and one local adorable blonde kid from down the road.

Devil Seducer (Russia)
Little Angus (Finland)
Tommy Thundah (Australia, he's good)
Narvawalker (BE)

ATC (West Hays) finds the quick route to the restroom.