Japan's Yosuke retains air guitar world championship

OULU, Finland -- A Japanese man out-"played" challengers to win the Air Guitar World Championship for the second consecutive year at a contest in northern Finland.

Ochi Yosuke received the highest score from a panel of judges in the final late Friday at the Teatria rock club in Oulu, near the Arctic Circle.

Apart from the glory, he received a custom-made Flying Finn electric guitar worth $3,400.

The talent on display was variable at best. The surprise of the qualifying round was Oulu native Hilkka "Gore Kitty" Suvanto, who has twice before scored the lowest points ever in that round but now achieved a perfect six from many of the judges.

However, it was Ochi who impressed the judges the most in the final showdown, ahead of Guillaume "Moche Pitt" de Tonquedec, of France, and Austria's Max "Herr Jaquelin" Heller.

"It's great. We've seen all the nations, united nations, 'rocking on the free world' and that's good, that's great," de Tonquedec said.

One of the favorites for the title was American Andrew "William Ocean" Litz, whose act ends in a spectacular backflip onto an empty beer can. He finished 11th.