World air guitar champion crowned
Saturday, 22 August 2009 22:11Frenchman Sylvain Quimene has won the 2009 Air Guitar World Championships after wowing judges with his acrobatic dance routines and outrageous outfits.
Mr Quimene, who performs under the stage name of Gunther Love, took first place in the competition in Oulu, northern Finland last night.
The 28-year-old, clad in a skin-tight golden leotard, impressed judges with his imaginary guitar solos and back flip moves.
Although the US may have given the world rock and roll, the country's air guitar heroes were no match for the French flair of Mr Quimene.
He picked up 35.1 points and beat off tough competition from last year's winner, American Craig 'Hot Lixx Hulahan' Billmeier.
Mr Billmeier and his compatriot Andrew 'William Ocean' Litz finished in joint second place behind Mr Quimene with 24.8 points.
Air guitarists taking part in the competition had to 'perform' a 60-second song of their own choice. They pretend to play rock or heavy metal without an actual instrument.
A jury then awarded marks to each performer based on the choice of music, stage presence, technical merit and artistic impression.
This year's event featured 21 wannabe rockers from as far afield as Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The first ever Air Guitar World Championships took place in Oulu in 1996.
