1996
Air Guitar Emeritus Jukka Takalo reminiscing:
"In spring 1996 our group Aknestik once again arranged a birthday gig at Rauhala. For the gig we also produced a
TV programme that was screened by a video projector between music videos. The TV programme included a news
broadcast, which stated that Finland had been divided in two and Northern Finland was now governed by a junta
of pop people. The pop junta threatened Southern Finland with Air Guitar Forces, unless the drummer of Aknestik
was immediately released from the police gaol in Helsinki. In an info flash Jarvis Cocker from PULP urged like
Uncle Sam: "Join the Air Guitar Forces!" Around the same time we were trying to come up with ideas for the street
event at the next festival. This was how it all started: we have to organise Air Guitar World Championships!"
Ever since the beginning the Championships were founded on a peace ideology: a person playing the Air Guitar cannot simultaneously be up to any mischief, and after playing mischief just does not seem like such a good idea anymore. The purpose was to play the Air Guitar all over the world simultaneously for peace, from the Great Wall of China via the Eiffel Tower to America. A bit like the eviction of space aliens was celebrated in the final scene of TV series V. This day still lies ahead of us, however perhaps not all that far away.
The first winner was Oikku Ylinen from Ilmajoki, which can be translated as Air River.
Results
1. Oikku Ylinen (FIN)
2. Heko Rehtori (FIN)
2. Petri Heikkinen (FIN)
