- Title: FINLAND: NINTH AIR GUITAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN OULU
- Date: 27th August 2004
- Summary: (W6) OULU, FINLAND (AUGUST 27, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. PAN FROM FINISH AIR GUITAR CONTESTANT TO FLAME BURNING 0.11 2. FROM WIDE OF STAGE WITH CROWDS AND AUSTRIAN MIKE KADEN PERFORMING TO CLOSE UP ON WIDE SCREEN SHOWING HIM PLAYING 0.32 3. CLOSE UP ON LAST YEARS WINNER AND DAVID "C-DIDDY" JUNG FROM THE U.S. 0.39 4. WOMEN SCREAMING AND JUMPING 0.45 5. JAPANESE CONTESTANT TAKESHI KORUOCHIIN PERFORMING 0.59 6. ACDC LOOK-A-LIKE BAND PERFORMING 1.09 7. JUDGES SITTING INFRONT OF CROWDS SHOWING SCORE CARDS 1.17 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUDGE JUHA TORVOINEN SAYING: "I also work for a record company and we have not signed a air guitar player yet, we might do it one day. I don't think it is the future of the music business it is the future of the world, world peace !" 1.33 9. MIRI PARK OF THE U.S., WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION JUMPING ON STAGE 1.48 10. DUTCH CONTESTANT MICHAEL HERRELS 1.57 11. MAN WITH CHILD ON HIS SHOULDERS CLAPPING 2.04 12. BELGIAN CONTESTANT RON VAN DEN BRANDEN WRAPPED IN PLASTIC 2.12 13. BELGIAN AIR BAND- PERFORMING IN HALF TIME 2.24 14. GIRLS CLAPPING HANDS IN CROWD 2.28 15. THE FINALISTS ON STAGE WAITING FOR RESULTS 2.39 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WINNER MIRI PARK OF THE U.S. SAYING: "There is a inner air guitarist in everyone. I never thought I had it in me before I saw Diddy performing last year. It is just about letting go. All your inhibitions, anything that you can think of holding you back, deconstructing all of those walls just letting go for a minute." 2.54 17. WINNER MIRI PARK AND SECOND PLACE NEW ZEALANDER TARQUIN KEYS PERFORMING A DUET 3.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th September 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: OULU, FINLAND
- Country: Finland
- Reuters ID: LVA4TLR8BJT1A57THNHLZ8QJX1DO
- Story Text: Thirty air guitar players from all corners of the
world battled for the ninth world championship title.
Oulu in Finland played host to the ninth world
championships of air guitar on Friday (August 27). Thirty
keen 'musicians' battled it out enthusiastically
demonstrating their skills on stage infront of an excited
crowd.
From countries far apart as Japan, New Zealand,
United States and Belgium the masters of air guitar put on
a performance to the 300-strong crowd to prove that their
hobby doesn't have to remain behind closed doors, although
judge Juha Torvoinen would advise any of the competitor to
give up their day jobs.
"I also work for a record company and we have not
signed a air guitar player yet, we might do it one day. I
don't think it is the future of the music business it is
the future of the world, world peace !" he told Reuters.
The first air guitar world championship was arranged in
1996 in Oulu. In the nine years the competition has
expanded to an international network of qualifying
competitions. The finalist from each country perform their
chosen song for one minute. In the second round of the
final they then have to improvise to a song chosen by the
judges.
The three judges that this year was the legendary
Finnish guitarist Juha Torvoinen, chief editor of music
magazine Suosikki, Katja Sthl and the Canadian youngster
Sandy Hunter scrutinized every movement made by the
performers and scored them.
A guitar and music talent is not required for the
competition but what is important is an ability to move
around the stage and playing the air guitar as
realistically as possible.
It was American Miri Park who won the title after
energetically dancing on stage performing the splits with
her air guitar.
Elated to have won, she said: "There is a inner air
guitarist in everyone. I never thought I had it in me
before I saw Diddy performing last year. It is just about
letting go. All your inhibitions, anything that you can
think of holding you back , deconstructing all of those
walls just letting go for a minute."
She beat rival and runner-up Tarquin Keys from New
Zealand.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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