The imaginary riff riot that is the Air Guitar World Championships took place for the 12th time in its spiritual home, the Finnish town of Oula, on September 7. National air guitar champions from across the world battled for the ultimate for the prize of a hand-made Flying Finn electric guitar and a Signature Vox amp donated by the spectacularly bouffanted Queen guitarist Brian May.

Watch action from the world air guitar championships

Wannabe champions face two rounds of stiff competition in their quest for the air guitar world title. Competitors choose their own song to perform in the first round and can rely on pre-rehearsed moves.

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Those selected for the second round must adapt their technique to interpret a specifically chosen compulsory song with no time for preparation. Performances are judged on originality, the ability to be taken over by the music, stage charisma, technique, artistic impression and an indefinable quality known as "airness".

Selected pseudo soloists

For the second year in a row, international air guitar honours went to Japan as 2006 champion Ochi Yosuke successfully defended his title. He is the second pseudo soloist to retain the crown after Zac Monro who reigned supreme in 2001 and 2002.

Yosuke and nine other finalists qualified for the second round where they were each asked to perform "I don't wanna stop" by Brummy rock legend Ozzy Osbourne. Though he was pushed all the way be Guillaume "Moche Pitt" de Tonquedec (France), Max Heller (Austria) and Christian Sweep (Germany), Yosuke's performance was deemed the best by the voting panel of Finnish air guitar legends. Sadly for British fans, UK entrant Gabi “The Hoxton Creeper” Matzeu failed to advance into the final round, finishing a distance joint 16th.