Air Guitar World Championships ( AGWC ) is an annual event taking place in Oulu , Finland. AGWC was arranged for the first time in 1996. Today, national championships are held all around the world.
54-472: Playing air guitar is based on mimicking guitar playing. Music genres may vary, but the most common ones are heavy metal and rock. The idea of having Air Guitar World Championships was generated by musician Jukka Takalo [ fi ] . The first competition was arranged in 1996 as part of Oulu Music Video Festival. Over the years, the contest has grown into its own event. Since 2011 it has been produced by Airnest Productions Ltd, which also takes care of
108-575: A Uralic language, the name must be a derivative . In all likelihood, it also predates Finnish settlement and is thus a loanword from one of the now-extinct Saami languages once spoken in the area. The most probable theory is that the name derives from the Finnish dialectal word oulu , meaning " floodwater ", which is related to e.g. Southern Sami åulo , meaning "melted snow", åulot meaning "thaw" (of unknown ultimate origin). Two other word families have also been speculated to be related. The first
162-477: A sculpture of Frans Michael Franzén and The Bobby at the Market Place statue. Finlands' Eurovision representatives 2021 rock band Blind Channel are from Oulu. They placed 6th in the competition. Kalmah is a melodic death metal-band from Oulu that formed in 1998. In the 1980s, rössypottu , salmon soup and sweet cheese ( juhannusjuusto ) were named Oulu's traditional parish dishes. Oulu
216-406: A VOX BM Special amplifier for the winner. The Licensed national championships are held annually around the world in over 10 countries. In 2021, the countries in the official AGWC network are USA, Iceland, UK, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Thailand, Australia, Belgium, Poland, Chile and Taiwan. The AGWC motto is "Make Air Not War". The purpose of the contest is to promote world peace. According to
270-551: A community-wide scale. Although only in the top 2% of universities, the University of Oulu is regionally renowned in the field of information technology. Oulu has also been very successful in recent city image surveys; in a study published by the Finnish Economic Survey in 2008, Oulu received the best image rating among large cities in the country, including ratings from respondents in all provinces . In
324-673: A defensive castle which was later captured by the Kingdom of Sweden in 1377. The 1400s were characterized by Russian raids in the region, during these raids captured people would be killed and/or taken back to the region of Russia. In 1531, the city was granted permission to act as a trading post . In 1590, the Oulu Castle was built by the Swedes and in 1595, the Treaty of Teusina firmly established Sweden's control over Oulu. The city
378-450: A device that consists of a motion-sensing guitar pick, a neck part with four buttons and a guitar body. By changing the distance between body and neck, and pressing a combination of the four buttons on the neck part, up to 48 tones and chords can be played. The V-Beat Air Guitar was won 'Best Music Gadget' on the television program The Gadget Show . In 2007, a Japanese toy company Takara Tomy introduced Air Guitar Pro ( Guitar Rockstar ),
432-478: A functional guitar simulator. Fitting in one hand, the device uses heat and motion sensors to detect the other hand motions and produce guitar sounds. In March 2008, Jada Toys of California introduced the Air Guitar Rocker toy that included patented technology in a belt buckle. When the user strums a magnetic pick in front of the belt buckle, guitar music plays through a portable amplifier attached to
486-582: A real instrument, producing sounds that depend on the air guitarist's actions. In 2005, students from the Helsinki University of Technology developed a system that translates hand movements into electric guitar sounds, resulting in a functional air guitar. The system, consisting of a pair of brightly coloured gloves and an infrared camera, is one of the most popular exhibits at the Helsinki Science Center . The camera recognizes
540-569: A side attraction for the music video festival but has since become a major draw in its own right. Air guitar contests have much in common with the figure skating scoring system, especially using 6.0 score system . The most common set of rules are as following: Annual Air Guitar World Championships were first held in 1996 as part of the Oulu Music Video Festival in Oulu , Finland, and now held there each August. According to
594-466: Is 155 inhabitants. As English and Swedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon. At least 100 different languages are spoken in Oulu. The most common foreign languages are Russian (0.6%), Arabic (0.5%), English (0.5%) and Chinese (0.4%). As of 2023 , 13,040 people with a migrant background lived in Oulu, or 6.1% of
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#1732797478885648-523: Is home to 4% of Finland's population. 6.1% of the population has a foreign background, which is lower than in the major Finnish cities of Helsinki , Espoo , Tampere , Vantaa or Turku . Population by native language (2023) Oulu is the second largest monolingual Finnish-speaking municipality in Finland after Tampere. There are 497 Swedish speakers in Oulu, or 0.2% of the population. The number of Sámi speakers, Finland's third official language,
702-460: Is not necessarily cleared from rooftop solar installations. The local utility, Oulun Energia, is owned by the city of Oulu. The energy mix it receives from the Nordic-wide grid includes wood pellets, waste incineration, bioenergy, hydro-electric, geothermal, wind, nuclear, peat, natural gas and coal. Ice hockey is the most popular spectator sport in Oulu. The local club Kärpät has won
756-483: Is notable for its transportation network dedicated to non-motor vehicular traffic, including pedestrians and bicycles (termed "light" traffic in Finland). In 2022, the city contained more than 950 kilometres (590 mi) of pathways and more than 300 underpasses and bridges devoted exclusively to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The network is used year-round. The ratio of walking and cycling traffic pathways to residents
810-513: Is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching . Air guitar is generally used in the imaginary simulation of loud electric or acoustic guitar music. Before the existence of air guitar, the popularity of the phonograph in the 1930s led to the phenomenon of "shadow conducting", in which listeners would pretend to conduct an orchestra. Air guitar had a seminal moment at the Woodstock music festival in 1969, when singer Joe Cocker mimicked
864-522: Is seen in the Northern Savo dialectal word uula and its Sami counterpart oalli , both meaning "river channel". The second is the Uralic root reconstructed as * uwa , meaning "river bed" (reflected as vuo in modern Finnish, also in derivatives such as vuolas "heavy-flowing"). To either of these roots, some Sami variety would have to be assumed having added further derivational suffixes. Oulu
918-490: Is served by Oulu Airport , the second largest airport in Finland by passenger volume. It is located 15 kilometres (9 mi) south-west of the city centre. The Port of Oulu is one of the busiest harbours on the Bothnian Bay . It includes four separate harbour areas: Vihreäsaari oil and bulk docks, Nuottasaari docks and Oritkari docks. There is also a ferry service in Oulu, which is mostly used between Oulunsalo and
972-772: Is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia , at the mouth of river Oulujoki , which is an ancient trading site. Following the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323, the status of Oulu was disputed in its ownership, as both the Novgorod Republic and the Kingdom of Sweden held much influence. In 1345, the Kingdom of Sweden annexed territory up to the Kemi River for the Diocese of Turku . In 1375, the Novgorod Republic built
1026-446: Is the highest in Finland and the cycling mode share is 20 percent. Even in winter, bicycle commuting remains strong in Oulu, in spite of the cold, dark, and snow. About 12% of winter trips are by bicycle, and about half of trips to school or university are. The city has a robust system for keeping bike paths maintained and clear of snow, and bike paths and lanes are plowed before roadways to encourage such human-scale winter transit in
1080-468: Is the third northernmost city in the world with a population of over 100,000, after Murmansk and Norilsk in Russia . Due to its large population and geopolitical, economic and cultural-historical position, Oulu has been called the "capital of Northern Finland". Oulu is also considered one of Europe's "living labs", where residents experiment with new technologies (such as NFC tags and ubi -screens) on
1134-599: The Bothnian Bay ( Perämeri in Finnish) and the Swedish mainland is about 180 km directly west across the Bothnian Bay. From the center of Oulu in the direction of Oulunsalo , there is Kempeleenlahti [ fi ] , a smaller but wide, meadow -belted bay, and part of it has been listed as a nature conservation area . The nearby island Hailuoto is just off the coast, 53 kilometres (33 mi) away in
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#17327974788851188-652: The COVID-19 pandemic . The 2021 US Air Guitar season ended with a live, in-person finals in Chicago, IL. List of United States Championships The Air Guitar UK Championship was created in 2006 by twice air guitar world champion Zac 'the Magnet' Monroe (the first non-Finn to win the competition ) and is affiliated with the Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu , Finland , forming part of
1242-526: The European Capital of Culture for 2026. The city is named after the river Oulujoki , which originates in the lake Oulujärvi . There have been a number of other theories for the origin of the name Oulu . One possible source is a word in the Sami language meaning 'flood water', but there are other suggestions. At minimum, the structure of the word requires that, if originally given by speakers of
1296-554: The Hailuoto Island . The shortest travel time from Oulu railway station to Helsinki Central railway station is 5 h 34 min, operated by VR . Other destinations include Kolari , Rovaniemi , Seinäjoki and Tampere . The most important road in Oulu is Highway 4 ( E8 / E75 ) that runs from Helsinki to Utsjoki via Lahti , Jyväskylä , Oulu, Kemi and Rovaniemi . Other highways running to and from Oulu are Highway 20 to Kuusamo and Highway 22 to Kajaani . Oulu
1350-780: The World Air Guitar Network . In September 2011, Air Guitar UK launched Air Guitar Wales and Air Guitar Northern Ireland to join Air Guitar Scotland (first launched by AGUK in 2009 ) as part of the Air Guitar UK Network. Air Guitar UK events are held in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust . UK Air Guitar (UKAG) works regularly with charities including RAFA , The 1800 Club and Action Medical Research . Multiple technological innovations allow air guitar to be played as
1404-614: The neoclassical (empire style) buildings around Helsinki Senate Square , was enlisted to provide the plan for its rebuilding. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. The Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844. During the Åland War , part of the Crimean War , Oulu's harbour was raided by the British fleet, who destroyed ships and burned tar houses, leading to international criticism. The city
1458-451: The 2023 T-Media survey, Oulu was tied with Kuopio as the second most attractive city in Finland, while Tampere was ranked first. Once known for wood tar and salmon , Oulu has become a major high-tech centre, particularly in IT and wellness technology. Other important industries include wood processing , chemicals , pharmaceuticals , paper and steel . Oulu has been selected as
1512-478: The Bothnian Bay. Along the coast to the southwest, about 75 kilometres (47 mi) of Oulu is Raahe ( Brahestad ), known for its historic wooden town, and, further to the southwest, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) of Oulu is Kalajoki , known for its popular sandy beaches. Oulu is divided into 106 city districts. The largest of these are Haukipudas , Oulunsalo , Kaakkuri , Ritaharju , Tuira , and Kello [ fi ] . The municipality of Ylikiiminki
1566-476: The United States' third world title and becoming the 2008 World Air Guitar Champion. William Ocean won his second national title in 2009, earning him a spot in Finland at the 2009 World Air Guitar Championships. Ocean and defending World Air Guitar Champion Hulahan tied for second place, behind Sylvain "Gunther Love" Quimene of France. In 2020 and 2021, US Air Guitar moved to online competitions, due to
1620-402: The annual Air Guitar World Championships have been organized in Oulu, Finland. The first competitions were arranged as part of Oulu Music Video Festival . Since 2011 it has been produced by Airnest Productions Ltd , which also administers the official Air Guitar World Championships Network of licensed national championships. The idea of the contest was originated a joke that was intended to be
1674-864: The annual rock festival Qstock takes place. The Oulu Music Festival is held in winter and the Oulunsalo Music Festival in summer. The Irish Festival of Oulu takes place each October, and the International Children's Film Festival each November. Museums in Oulu include the Northern Ostrobothnia museum , the Oulu Museum of Art (OMA), the Tietomaa science center , and the Turkansaari open-air museum . Notable statues and sculptures in Oulu include
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1728-411: The brand. In the Air Guitar World Championships, participants from all over the world compete who can play the air guitar the best. The judges represent professionals of performing arts and culture, the guitarist Juha Torvinen [ fi ] among others. The winner gets a custom-made guitar, 'Flying Finn', by Matti and Saara Nevalainen. One year, Brian May , the lead guitarist of Queen, donated
1782-622: The city of Oulu, located near the Arctic Circle , has only two hours of weak sunlight in December, the photovoltaic cells work almost around the clock in the summer. The cold climate means the PV panels can get up to a 25% boost per hour, as they don't overheat. Because the sun is quite low in the sky at this latitude, vertical PV installations are popular on the sides of buildings. These solar walls also capture light reflected from snow. Snow
1836-518: The city where 12% already do so. The Winter Cycling Federation was founded in Oulu in 2013, and the first Winter Cycling Congress was held there. In 2015, a large underground parking facility, Kivisydän ( Stone Heart ), opened in the city center directly beneath main shopping streets. The network of parallel roads for cars and pedestrians was drilled in the rock at the depth of 30 meters (98 ft). The parking facility includes two ramps, 900 visitor parking lots (expandable to 1500), six access points to
1890-452: The competition ideology, "wars will end, climate change will stop and all bad things will vanish when all the people in the world play the air guitar". Participants from all over the world compete in skills of playing air guitar. The judges represent professionals of performing arts and culture, the guitarist Juha Torvinen among others. The winner gets a custom-made guitar, 'Flying Finn', by Matti and Saara Nevalainen. One year, Brian May ,
1944-440: The competition ideology, "wars will end, climate change will stop and all bad things will vanish when all the people in the world play the air guitar." Air guitar Air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play an imaginary rock or heavy metal -style electric guitar , including riffs and solos. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions, and
1998-663: The distance between the two gloves and the strumming movements made by the wearer to synthesize an electric guitar tune, working using only six notes. In November 2006, researchers at the Australian government's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced they had developed a tee-shirt that senses human movement to "showcase its expertise in designing and manufacturing electronic and intelligent textiles with which people effortlessly control computers", publicising it as an air guitar shirt. In 2007, toy company Silverlit introduced V-Beat Air Guitar,
2052-485: The ground served by 19 elevators (expandable to nine and 25), a service facility for commercial delivery vehicles, and ubi -screens that guide the driver to the selected ground access point and help locate the parked car by its license number. In 2015, the Kaleva Media printing plant in Oulu became the most powerful photovoltaic solar plant in Finland, with 1,604 solar photovoltaic (PV) units on its roof. Although
2106-409: The horizon. This gives Oulu white nights during the summer. FMI (record highs and lows 1961–present) Source 3: weather2travel.com (average monthly UV index) The city of Oulu has 216,174 inhabitants, making it the 5th most populous municipality in Finland. The Oulu region has a population of 264,143, making it the fourth largest region in Finland after Helsinki , Tampere and Turku . Oulu
2160-528: The lead guitarist of Queen, donated a VOX BM Special amplifier for the winner. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Air Guitar World Championships were not held in 2020 and 2021. In lieu of a 2021 championship, the Air Guitar World Championships organized a virtual Champion of Champions Championships on August 27, 2021, won by Justin "Nordic Thunder" Howard. List of World Championships In 2003, Cedric Devitt and Kriston Rucker founded US Air Guitar,
2214-700: The now defunct metal band Sentenced , and one of the best ice hockey teams in Europe, Oulun Kärpät . Many artists, writers, and musicians live in the city. A variety of concerts – rock, classical, and jazz – as well as other cultural events take place each year. Examples include the Oulu Music Video Festival , the Air Guitar World Championships , and the Musixine Music Film Competition, all in August. In July,
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2268-847: The official governing body of air guitar in the US. The 2004 US Air Guitar Championships featured regional competitions in five cities. MiRi "Sonyk-Rok" Park, winner of the New York City regional, took the national crown by defeating Fatima "The Rockness Monster" Hoang from Los Angeles. She went to Finland, where she tied for first place, becoming the 2004 World Air Guitar Co-Champion. By 2008, US Air Guitar had expanded to include regional competitions in 24 cities. The 2006 US Air Guitar Champion, Craig "Hot Lixx Hulahan" Billmeier, went on to defeat 2005 Champion Fatima "The Rockness Monster" Hoang and 2007 Champion Andrew "William Ocean" Litz en route to his second national title. In Finland, Hulahan won, securing
2322-523: The playing of the keyboard and guitar during his performance of " With a Little Help From My Friends ". Cocker's elaborate signature moves helped introduce the concept of air guitar to the public. Neal Kay , founder of the Soundhouse heavy metal club in Kingsbury, London, recalls one night in 1976 a club regular named Rob "Loonhouse" Yeatman arrived at the club carrying a piece of hardboard cut into
2376-429: The population. There are 13,986 residents who were born abroad, which or 6.5% of the population. The number of foreign citizens in Oulu is 9,405. Most foreign-born citizens come from the former Soviet Union , Sweden, Iraq , China and India. The relative share of immigrants in Oulu's population is below the national average. Nevertheless, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase
2430-696: The proportion of foreign residents in the coming years. In 2023, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 67.2% of the population of Oulu. Other religious groups accounted for 1.9% of the population. 30.9% of the population had no religious affiliation. Oulu, as well as other parts of North Ostrobothnia, is well known as a strong support area of the Conservative Laestadianism revival movement . A Laestadian background has been estimated to be common in construction sector management. Oulu
2484-692: The regional capital of North Ostrobothnia . It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the River Oulu . The population of Oulu is approximately 216,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 264,000. It is the 5th most populous municipality in Finland, and the fourth most populous urban area in the country. Oulu is also the most populous city in Northern Finland. Oulu's neighbouring municipalities are: Hailuoto , Ii , Kempele , Liminka , Lumijoki , Muhos , Pudasjärvi , Tyrnävä and Utajärvi . Oulu
2538-455: The shape of a Flying V guitar, with no frets or strings. "Suddenly Rob appears in front of everyone and he starts playing it along with the solo and he's absolutely perfect." One of the first air guitar contests was held at Florida State University in 1978. The term "air guitar" subsequently gained popularity in the 1980s as more contests were held in Sweden and the United States. Since 1996,
2592-460: The users pants or belt. The Air Guitar Rocker is marketed with the popular Guitar Hero license and was created by toy inventor David Führer and his team. 27 Heavy Metal Britannia BBC TV 2010, 105mins 20secs. Oulu Oulu ( / ˈ oʊ l uː / OH -loo , Finnish: [ˈou̯lu] ; Swedish : Uleåborg [ʉːlɛɔˈbɔrj] ) is a city in Finland and
2646-455: The world. The typical features are cold and snowy winters with short and mild summers. Average annual temperature is 3.3 °C (37.9 °F). The average annual precipitation is 477 mm (18.78 in) falling 105 days per year, mostly in late summer and fall. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Oulu was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) in July 1957, while the coldest temperature on record
2700-475: Was founded on 8 April 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden , and granted city privileges in 1610. In 1765, Oulu received township rights granting them to trade outside of Sweden. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009. In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city, especially the city centre as most of the city was made from wood. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel , chiefly known for
2754-417: Was merged with the city of Oulu on 1 January 2009. Oulu and the municipalities of Haukipudas , Kiiminki , Oulunsalo , and Yli-Ii were merged on 1 January 2013. Oulu has a subarctic climate ( Köppen : Dfc , Trewartha Eolo ), bordering a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb , Trewartha Dclo ). It is the largest Finnish city entirely in this climatic zone as well as one of the largest such in
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#17327974788852808-641: Was the site of the Battle of Oulu on 3 February 1918 between the Whites and the Reds during the Finnish Civil War . Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other cities in the country. It is located 607 kilometres (377 mi) north of the capital city Helsinki . Mainland Finland's northernmost and southernmost points are roughly equidistant from Oulu. Oulu's coast sits at
2862-488: Was the site of the 2018 Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal . Prime Minister Juha Sipilä declared that "Sex crimes against children are inhumane acts of incomprehensible evil." As of 31 December 2008, the active working population was employed as follows: In 2011, the most important employers were: The best known cultural exports of the city of Oulu are the Air Guitar World Championships held annually in August, Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as Screaming Men ),
2916-483: Was −41.5 °C (−42.7 °F) in February 1966. Due to Oulu's far northern location, and its frequent overcast skies, it only sees on average 15 minutes of sunshine per day in December. During the winter solstice days only last 3 hours and 34 minutes with the sun rising 1.9 degrees over the horizon. On the other hand, during the summer solstice days last 22 hours and 3 minutes, with the sun dipping 1 degree below
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