Best Air Guitarist In The World? From The Midwest! USA! USA!

I understand you might have missed this little piece of news. What with Neil Armstrong passing, Matt Stafford hurting his hand (ask your husband if you don't know who this is) or Issac the Bartender from The Love Boat bearing down on the Gulf Coast. In Helsinki, Finland, the best Air Guitarists in the world competed for nearly 800,000 kronas (or $172 in US money) and late Friday, a winner was crowned.

Congratulations to Chicago's Justin Howard whose alter ego "Nordic Thunder" beat New York's Matt Burns to win the 17th annual air guitar contest.

The details of this contest are a little bit foggy in the US, so I took some liberties with my reporting.  Justin used the riff on "Looks Like we Made It" by Barry Manilow to win the contest. Barry had no comment when asked about the winning performance.

Howard has repeatedly turned down joining a band and actually learning to play guitar, and now since he thought the 800,000 koronas was actually $800,000, he now has to find work in Helsinki. The offer has flooded in from a karaoke bar willing to pay him 850,000 koronas a month. He reportedly has wired his brother in Elgin, Illinois for the plane money to come back to his adoring fans.

Way to go Nordic Thunder! The air guitarists of the USA are proud!