“Mini-Maxi Sauna”
(« All Saunas Great and Small»)
LEAD-INS:
Finland has the highest concentration of saunas anywhere in the world. And its got the biggest and the smallest. The big one can fit 300 people, while the tiniest will fit on the back of a motor scooter. Full steam ahead!
COMMENTARY 1
Shut a few men or women up in a sauna. Throw half a litre of water onto red hot stones every ten minutes. Leave them to stew for as long as possible... That’s the recipe for the world sauna championships, an incredible competition that takes place every year in Finland.
In fact, it could only happen in Finland. Finland is Sauna Country. There are more than a million for five and a half million inhabitants. Luxury houses and even humble apartments have one. But the tops in Finland is to have a cabin and sauna by a lake.
Though the pros and cons of sauna have not been scientifically proved, one thing is for certain : sauna is an integral part of Finnish lifestyle and culture.
A sauna is an essential part of relaxation after a day’s work. And it’s even better done with family and friends. Finland’s capital, Helsinki, still has three municipal saunas. There, you can even get a lady to wash you down... for a fee. And contrary to general belief – an idea that makes Finns smile – there are no erotic connotations involved...
INTERVIEW 1 Sinnika Korvo, laveuse
Seeing a man stark naked doesn’t bother me at all. It’s just my job. the important thing is for the customer to feel good.
INTERVIEW 2, a customer.
It’s nice to be washed by a woman, but then again, I’m an old man, you know...
COMMENTARY 2
In Helsinki, you’ll find several Sauna Shops, dedicated entirely to the noble art of the steam bath. They have everything : from the full monty that can cost anything over several hundred thousand euros, to bunches of birch twigs for massaging the body after the sauna.
All the big companies have saunas on their premises... even government departments, like here at the Foreign Ministry. Apparently, nothing oils the wheels of diplomacy better than a top-level meeting with world leaders in their birthday suits.
Military barracks have saunas, too, needless to say. On an islet just off Helsinki is the Air Force’s sauna. The biggest in Finland and, therefore, in the world.
INTERVIEW 3 – officer
This sauna has about 120 places. The training school students use it twice a week.
COMMENTARY 3
And where else but in Finland could you expect to find the world’s smallest sauna... and a portable one at that !
This invention is the brainchild of Soma TURUNEN. A practical-minded do-it-yourself fanatic, Soma, who couldn’t afford a lakeside cabin, decided to take his sauna on tour...
As he wanders through the country, Soma sets up his sauna in ravishing beauty spots. It has neverything, right down to the little wood-fired hearth... all in the finest tradition.
The temperature rises in a few seconds. It can reach 90°C. Time for a sweat...
INTERVIEW Soma TURINEN
When you’re in your own sauna, all’s right with the world ! By a lake in this lovely weather.
The birds are singing, a breeze is blowing and the sun’s shining.
And I can take it wherever I want to go... and it makes good, healthy steam !
COMMENTARY 4
And as always, a steam bath is rounded off with a dip. The icier the water, the better...
(« All Saunas Great and Small»)
LEAD-INS:
Finland has the highest concentration of saunas anywhere in the world. And its got the biggest and the smallest. The big one can fit 300 people, while the tiniest will fit on the back of a motor scooter. Full steam ahead!
COMMENTARY 1
Shut a few men or women up in a sauna. Throw half a litre of water onto red hot stones every ten minutes. Leave them to stew for as long as possible... That’s the recipe for the world sauna championships, an incredible competition that takes place every year in Finland.
In fact, it could only happen in Finland. Finland is Sauna Country. There are more than a million for five and a half million inhabitants. Luxury houses and even humble apartments have one. But the tops in Finland is to have a cabin and sauna by a lake.
Though the pros and cons of sauna have not been scientifically proved, one thing is for certain : sauna is an integral part of Finnish lifestyle and culture.
A sauna is an essential part of relaxation after a day’s work. And it’s even better done with family and friends. Finland’s capital, Helsinki, still has three municipal saunas. There, you can even get a lady to wash you down... for a fee. And contrary to general belief – an idea that makes Finns smile – there are no erotic connotations involved...
INTERVIEW 1 Sinnika Korvo, laveuse
Seeing a man stark naked doesn’t bother me at all. It’s just my job. the important thing is for the customer to feel good.
INTERVIEW 2, a customer.
It’s nice to be washed by a woman, but then again, I’m an old man, you know...
COMMENTARY 2
In Helsinki, you’ll find several Sauna Shops, dedicated entirely to the noble art of the steam bath. They have everything : from the full monty that can cost anything over several hundred thousand euros, to bunches of birch twigs for massaging the body after the sauna.
All the big companies have saunas on their premises... even government departments, like here at the Foreign Ministry. Apparently, nothing oils the wheels of diplomacy better than a top-level meeting with world leaders in their birthday suits.
Military barracks have saunas, too, needless to say. On an islet just off Helsinki is the Air Force’s sauna. The biggest in Finland and, therefore, in the world.
INTERVIEW 3 – officer
This sauna has about 120 places. The training school students use it twice a week.
COMMENTARY 3
And where else but in Finland could you expect to find the world’s smallest sauna... and a portable one at that !
This invention is the brainchild of Soma TURUNEN. A practical-minded do-it-yourself fanatic, Soma, who couldn’t afford a lakeside cabin, decided to take his sauna on tour...
As he wanders through the country, Soma sets up his sauna in ravishing beauty spots. It has neverything, right down to the little wood-fired hearth... all in the finest tradition.
The temperature rises in a few seconds. It can reach 90°C. Time for a sweat...
INTERVIEW Soma TURINEN
When you’re in your own sauna, all’s right with the world ! By a lake in this lovely weather.
The birds are singing, a breeze is blowing and the sun’s shining.
And I can take it wherever I want to go... and it makes good, healthy steam !
COMMENTARY 4
And as always, a steam bath is rounded off with a dip. The icier the water, the better...