Daily Archives: September 9, 2007

Comedian Repeats as Air Guitar Champ

Japanese air guitar championComedian Ochi Yosuke (35) has repeated his world-dominating guitar solo showmanship, winning the World Air Guitar Championship in Oulu, Finland for the second year running. One half of the little-known comic duo Dainoji, Ochi’s win last year propelled him to fame and a year’s worth of regular TV appearances. The Yoshimoto comedian made the most of his stage experience to add a comic touch to the usual striding, guitar hero bravado as he mimed to the Offspring’s classic “Come Out and Play”. The panel of four judges gave contestants scores out of six, based on stage persona, technical skill and a quality known as “airness”. Ochi gets to bask in the glory of being just the second two-time winner, and he also received a custom-made Flying Finn electric guitar worth $3,400. He arrived back in Japan on Finnair on Saturday morning, and got a hero’s welcome at Narita Airport. Reporters and cameras from all the networks were there to greet him, unlike last year when his feat was met at home mostly by puzzled looks. Ochi says he now has his sights on a first-ever three-peat.