More brand-new qualifier locations, hooray! This one was one of two first-time qualifiers that took place on Saturday, this one in Havelock, NC. Welcome to the air guitar family, you guys!
The first-ever (but hopefully not last) North Carolina US Air Guitar Qualifier took place at a guitar shop - appropriate except for the lack of booze, unless this is the kind of guitar shop you can drink in - and was a small-scale affair with 4 competitors. But that didn't stop anyone! They even wound up having an air-off for first place!
The competitors were The Hemi, Air Bud (pictured), Thumpkin, and The Hunter, and it came down to Air Bud and The Hunter in an air-off for first place. Ultimately, The Hunter pulled it off and won a prize pack and entry to the DC semifinals. I really, really hope he goes!
It makes me think there should be a USAG newbie stipend, or something, to help new air guitarists meet the rest of the family and see some top-level talent (not that they wouldn't have seen that at home, I'm not saying that! Just that there's even more, and better chance of seeing it, in air guitarists from all over the region). What we want is to grow this family and get more people as hooked as we all are, right? Well, the way this happens is for them to go to a competition outside their local area. That's where you can really "get it" and know you want to keep doing this for years. So how can we make this more possible? I welcome your ideas, friends!