Air guitar national finals

All those years of practising the air guitar in front of the bedroom mirror is about to pay off for one air guitar specialist.

Tomorrow night's winner of the annual New Zealand Air Guitar Championships at the Poenamo Hotel gets to represent the country at the ninth Air Guitar World Championships in Finland in August.

The qualifying finalists include Auckland rep "Young Davo" Dave Warbrick. He's such a committed air guitarist that during the 2002 national final he fractured his ankle during a rehearsal but, against his doctor's orders, took to the stage to compete in the final.

Then, from South Auckland comes "Daizy Vicious" aka Jeanna Sims. She's the only female competitor. Also competing are Bradley Boy Holmes (Hamilton) The Tarkinator (Tarquin Keys, Tauranga), International Terrorist (Ben Sarter, Taranaki), Ivor Biggun (Tony Hanson, Wellington), Furious Fingers Smith (Matthew Smith, Invercargill) and Andrew "the Axe" Gourdie (Christchurch).

The competition goes like this: the free round, then on to round two, the compulsory round. Help from personal air roadies is allowed. Doors open 8.30pm, competition starts at 10pm, entry $10.