Make sweet, sweet love to the air -- and generate some potentially embarrassing YouTube footage in the process? Somewhere Andy Warhol is smiling, counting the 15 minutes of fame parceled out for the contestants lining up for the Air Sex World Championships, which makes a pit stop at the Independent on Wednesday, June 24.

Judging from the plentiful vids on the Air Sex site, these would-be (porn) stars aren’t going to let a little thing a lack of a partner -- or even a photogenic bod -- stop them from showing off their mad sexual skills. Viva le difference between Air Sex and, well, stripping or burlesque: any hot-blooded adult with a filthy imagination and, natch, a wicked sense of humor has a chance to score with the judges.

The phenom began in Japan -- land of Hello Kitty, pink movies, and incredibly bizarre reality-sex videos -- and came to the states last year, courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse honcho Tim League and Air Sex co-founder Henri Mazza, who hosted the semi-monthly Air Sex bouts and finals at the Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, and organized the championship at the city’s Paramount Theater.

In ‘09, League and Mazza are taking it nationwide with this 15-city tour, bringing along judges and performers from last year’s championship and inviting locals from N.Y.C. to Seattle to show ‘em their Air Sex-iest best, in two minutes tops. The winner of each round will be flown to the Air Sex World Championship Finals this summer in Austin, Texas.

"Air Sex,” League said, “is sort of like Air Guitar." And as with Air Guitar, humor counts, big time -- though no giggling at teensy air endowments. Last year’s winner Sad Larry seduced the judges with a reputedly emo-larious performance as a lonely guy loving up his girlfriend’s glossy photo. So look at this as the dirty-minded ground floor to Air Stardom: if you missed the cruise ship to Air Guitar’s fantasy isle, it’s time to jump on board, grab that moose and start practicing your, ahem, air head.

Air Sex Championships Wednesday, June 24, 9 p.m., at the Independent, 628 Divisadero St., S.F. $15. (415) 771-1422. www.theindependentsf.com