Get to know the National Champions of 2017

Genevieve “The Phoenix” LeBlanc, Canadian Champion

1. "My name is Genevieve, but on stage I am known as The Phoenix. I am currently earning my Master’s degree in counselling and psychotherapy and will be working as a psychotherapist with a background in trauma therapy, gender, and sexuality. I am a massive nerd and love film, comics, video games, and cosplay. And last, but not least, I am the 2017 Canadian National Air Guitar Champion."

 2. "My air guitar career started when I wandered into a small bar in my hometown of Ottawa on a Saturday night with my friends. The 2015 Ottawa Air Guitar Regional Championships were taking place, and I was immediately drawn in. I knew I had to do it! That night I was quite ill, so I didn't have the energy to attend Dark Horse. But I spent the next 12 months preparing, and won the 2016 Ottawa Championship. This year, after moving to Toronto for school, I won the 2017 Toronto Championship, went on to win Nationals, and now I'm headed to Finland for the first time. I'm the first woman to ever be the Canadian champion, and the first Canadian to be a champion in two different cities!"

 3. "On stage I am bursting with energy that is wild and untamed. I love to just go crazy. I know my songs, but rehearsal has a tendency to go out the window once I'm up there! I love for my performances to be on theme and incorporate my geekiness. It may take me two hours to get into my full costume, but that doesn't mean I'll hesitate to lose pieces of it on stage flinging myself around! It's very unladylike and I love it. I have a disability, and that affects how well I can move and what I can and can't do on stage, but I'm not going to let it hold me back from giving a killer performance."

4. "Honestly, getting to the championship was my goal. I'm hoping to just have a good time surrounded by some amazing, like-minded, wacky people. I can't wait to see the performances! I'm a competitive person, so I'm obviously hoping I'll win, but I'm also not setting myself up for disappointment! I'm vibrating with excitement for the whole weekend!"

Follow "The Phoenix" in Social Media:

Instagram: @gengeekgirl
Twitter: @gen_geek_girl

Picture by Culture Snap Photography

Nicole “Mom Jeans Jeannie” Sevcik, US Champion

  1. "My name is Nicole Sevcik and I go by the stage name of "Jeanie VanHammage"  also known as "MOM JEANS JEANIE"

  2. "I got started in Air Guitar when I was pushed up onto stage as a walk on performer back in 2010. I was tied for first place at the end of the first round and immediately hooked for life! The following year I signed up with an official stage name and costume (both of which have changed several times through the years)."

  3. "I'd describe my air guitar performance style as a technical storyteller, attempting to stay true to a style similar to Hot Lixx Hulahan yet taking artistic liberties to emphasize a song lyric or my character development."

  4." I do feel an advantage having participated in finals before as I feel more confident about coming back, knowing now what to expect and also not having to compete in the world Dark horse! My expectations for this year's Championships are to simply have fun, entertain and spread love and peace to all whom we meet! You're all already winners to Mom Jeans Jeanie!"

 Follow "Mom Jeans Jeanie" in Social Media:

 Instagram: @momjeansjeanie
 Twitter: @momjeansjeanie 

Patrick "Ehrwolf" Culek, German Champion

 1." My name is Patrick Culek, born and raised in Munich, Germany in January 1976. I work as a free artist, singer and songwriter, which basically means, I am not bound by any kind of contracts. "Ehrwolf" is my Air Guitar name."

 2. "Tino, a friend of mine who works at the Backstage in Munich, where the Bavarian Air Guitar Championships where held from 2013 until 2016, told me      that I should participate in 2014 because of the plenty of air in my head. What    really made me do it, was the promise of free beer and in case of winning the      nationals the journey to Oulu Finland. In 2015 two time German champion and    world finalist Sabrina Lady Liberty convinced me to sign up for the Dark horse.    It was then when I fell in love with Oulu and all those crazy people from around the world."

 3. "Since I also play the wood guitar, I would describe my style as mostly realistic yet surprising."

 4. "It is going to be an awesome time and I am looking really forward to it. Whatever the outcome will be, everyone who is coming to Oulu has already won something really special."

Follow "Ehrwolf" in Social Media:

Instagram: @paprika.chu
Twitter: @pachoo_chu

 Picture by Fuchse Fotografie

Show-Show, Japanese Champion

1. "I am a high school student, aged 15. In the school, I am a guitarist in a rock band."

 2."According to my mother, I have already started playing the Air Guitar to the         music since 2 years old. Since 11 years old, I have been participating in Japan Air Guitar Championship as a contestant. At the same time, I have started learning a "real" guitar, because I want to improve my Air Guitar performance. " 

 3. "SAMURAI AIRGUITARIST! I am the best person in the world to play Air Guitar like a real guitar!"

 4. "I´ve not participated in the World Championships before and nobody up there has seen my performance, therefore, I think it's an advantage. I will surprise the world with my Air Guitar!! It's my dream to stand on the same stage with other national champions. I want to be a World Champion and then I want Nordic Thunder to give me a shoulder ride."

Follow “SHOW-SHOW” in Social Media:

Twitter: @airshowshow
Picture by Japan Air Guitar Association (Twitter: @airguitarjapan)