The first ever Heavy Metal Knitting Championship was just held in Joensuu, Finland and it was as ridiculous as it sounds. The bizarre and oddly satisfying competition saw knitting fanatics flex their skills onstage while thrash band Maniac Abductor set a devastating mood.

Although this was the inaugural Heavy Metal Knitting Championship, competitors came from around the globe to be a part of the spectacle. Prospects entered by submitting a one-minute video of them knitting to Maniac Abductor’s “Fight or Die” and the Top 12 entrants were invited to perform in the finals. The final dozen knitters arrived from Denmark, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.

A diverse group of artists brought entertaining gimmicks from their homelands, with Giga Body Metal’s sumo and kabuki knitting sideshow winning first place. Denmark’s Knitting With Ellen placed second and third went to America’s 9” Needles.

“Knitting is such a meditative activity, but now it’s energetic and it’s heart-pumping,” one competitor told the Associated Press. “It’s ridiculous, but it’s so much fun,” added knitter Heather McLaren.

The event’s Facebook page reads, “In heavy metal knitting, needlework and music become united like never before. On the same stage, accompanied by a million-dollar guitar solo, with hair flowing in the air, there’s heavy metal music and knitting, shaking hands. Knitting to the rhythm of heavy metal music can be compared to playing air guitar — which is a Finnish way to goof around as well. In heavy metal knitting, the knitter becomes a part of the band, showing their best needlework tricks as the heavy riffs echo on the background. The knitter takes part in the jam while their balls of yarn and knitting needles swish through the air...

Watch highlights from the Heavy Metal Knitting Championship above.