Gadling

Travel agents have long promoted Finland as the land of Santa. And why not? It is cold, white and teeming with elves. OK, the Finns aren’t THAT short, but it is true that Finland has long been targeted as the locale of Santa’s workshop (right next to the Ikea). Even the government and the national carrier pushes the notion, with the airline Finnair calling itself Santa’s official airline. But as with everything popular, the notion is taking its toll, and as this story points out, Santaland is being overrun by commercialism. Woe woe woe!

What’s the one music event where musical talent counts for absolutely nothing, but style and eccentricity are everything? No, not the MTV music awards. I’m talking about the International Air Guitar Champinships. Held in August earlier this year in Finland, the Air Guitar Championships every year lure “a stageful of international Air Guitarists” to come and compete to see who can match Pete Townsend’s talent for the windmill strum while playing nothing but air. This year’s winner? Tarquin “The Tarkness” Keys of New Zealand and Miri “Sonyk-Rok” Park of the US.

While all is done for fun, there are some serious rules that must be followed:

• The instrument must be invisible – ie, air

• An air guitarist may play an electric guitar or an acoustic one – or both

• Personal air roadies are allowed, but backing groups (real or air) are not

• The winner must carry the joyful tidings of the air guitar forward – thus promoting world peace.

While the chances are you missed them this year, you can still go to this site and relive some of the highlight moments in all their unplugged, unstrung glory.