Royal Canadian Air Farce

Seeing is believing - unless what you're not seeing is a guitar. Somehow escaping the scorn heaped upon mimes, "Metalica Drummer" and the fat lightsaber swinging Star Wars kid, air guitarists are enjoying a resurgence of respectability. Well, that's pushing it a little, but the "sport" can at least lay claim to an international championship. However, if you hope to pit your imaginary axe against a dozen of the world's finest, you have to prove yourself the King or Queen of Canada. Following in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates (as if they couldn't afford real guitars!), Canada's hosting the first cross-country competition, which began down East last month before moving westward to BC and culminating in the Toronto nationals in July. Check the sked at www.airguitar.ca. The winner then jets off to Oulu, Finland to compete in the tenth annual world finals, which also happen to be part of an ingenious plan to promote world peace. Because you totally can't shoot a gun if you're already holding an air guitar. Or something.