Some of a small seaworthy sauna company somebody exploded while the BBC visited the steam

The woman is standing by the open -air swimming place on the shore of the Bothnian Bay. — Heta-Jemina Pudas runs a public sauna, an open swimming area and a small restaurant on the shore of the Perämere in Kemi. During the day, he works as an engineer in a company in Lapland.

Tourists are interested in swimming in cold water. Open swimmers from all over the world visit Kemi.

Kemi is the northernmost place in Finland, where you can experience a sauna in a public sauna, followed by an open-air swim in the sea. Now the place is also known around the world, because it ended up on the BBC’s website with a four-minute video.

A woman stands in a cold sauna with her clothes on. — Heta-Jemina tells about a Finnish sauna culture in the BBC video. For example, whether it is naked in the sauna or not.

Originally, the BBC thing was supposed to be from northern Finland, and the content had to be an interview with a semi-professional open swimmer from the point of view: New Year, New Me, How Is Sauna Like a Finn.

– In that case, apparently the schedules got a little crossed and we have a local journalist here in Kemi who does things as a freelancer. He comes to us as a regular sauna customer.

The reporter called Pudassen and told him that New York’s BBC had ordered a story about a Finnish sauna from him. Pudas speaks English very well, so he gladly agreed to the video.

According to Pudas, after the story published by the BBC, the company has had many contacts.

– Some have exploded now and have come a lot of foreign queries and followers. In the case of a BBC, I may not realize that this kind of hassle starts.

Tourists are interested in swimming in cold water

Foreigners seem to be particularly interested in swimming. There were many tourists in the harbor office between Christmas and New Year.

According to Pudas, the visitors’ first concern was that the opening is definitely open, that they can swim in the sea in cold water.

– First they are nervous and they are terribly worried. Do you have to go to the sauna first, or do you have to go to the sauna first and how often can you go there?

Heta-Jemina Pudas reminds us that everyone is introduced to the secrets of swimming. For example, it is reminded that breathing is the most important thing.

– Perhaps the most attractive feature of our foreign tourists is that when they come to that bar after the experience, their eyes really shine. They are very excited and say that they have visited the opening four times and that it is absolutely amazing.

According to Heta-Jemina Pudas, most of the foreign saunas have so far come from Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, France, England, Spain, Italy and the gig.

– We have had a few from the USA, a couple of groups from Australia, but then among the countries there are Egypt, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru and of course China and Japan.

Heta-Jemina Pudas hopes that all entrepreneurs on Kemi beach will benefit from the international visibility received by the port office.