International Sauna Games

June 20, 2026 | Starts at 3 PM

The International Sauna Games are a celebration of the skills, traditions, and culture that create an exceptional sauna experience.

Inspired by Finnish sauna heritage, these games are built around a simple principle:

Every event showcases a skill that enhances future saunas.

The International Sauna Games do not feature extreme heat challenges, endurance sitting, drinking contests, or other activities that run contrary to the spirit of sauna. The sauna is a relaxing social and body beneficial experience, so the culture around these games, while competitive, reflect that approach. Competitors are encouraged to embody the values of hospitality, craftsmanship, relaxation, community, and respect for the four elements that together create the perfect sauna experience: air, water, earth, and fire.

Scores and records will be preserved with the intention of growing the tradition across countries, cultures, and generations.

Competition Structure

Open Registration – Sign Up Now!

Teams can be made of two to four people. Any teammate can compete in any stage of the competition.

Sign-ups require pre-registration online using this sign-up form or at the event space from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The following stages make up the International Sauna Games:

Air Stage
Earth Stage
Water Stage
Fire Stage

Registration is limited, and walk-up entries will be accepted while space remains available.

For 2026: four teams will be allowed to participate.

AIR STAGE

Steam Tossing Championship

The ability to create excellent löyly begins with proper water placement. Steam Tossing tests both distance and precision.

Event 1: Distance Toss

Each competitor receives:

One bucket of colored water
One standard sauna ladle

Rules:

A white measuring surface will be placed at a predetermined distance as the target zone.
One tosser is chosen per team.
Each tosser receives three throws.
The furthest qualifying droplet determines the score.
A qualifying droplet must be at least 0.5 inches in diameter.

Scoring:

Score equals the distance reached by the furthest qualifying droplet.
Longest recorded distance wins.

Event 2: Accuracy Toss

Rules:

A raised pile of sauna stones will be placed in front of the tosser.
One tosser is chosen per team.
Tossers must remain seated.
The tossing position will be six feet from the target.
Tossers receive three tosses to cover the rocks with as much water as possible.

Scoring:

Score equals the number of stones visibly covered by water after both throws.
Highest total wins.

(NOTE: At any point a Sauna Goblin may appear and interrupt tosses. A toss that is ruined by the goblin can be regained if the tosser manages to meaningfully hit the goblin with a subsequent toss of the liquid)

EARTH STAGE

Log Stacking Championship

A well-stacked woodpile is a mark of both skill and pride.

Rules:

The goal is to make a neat stack of logs within the 6 ft boundary area in any way your team decides.
Two players are chosen from each team.
Each team will be pulling from a pile of logs 15 ft away.
The stack isn’t finished until every log from the pile has been stacked.
Act quickly as your time makes up a large portion of your score.
Scores will be adjusted based on stack tidiness and creativity.

Scoring:

Fastest time wins
Tidiness adjustments:
- 15 second time subtraction for a very tidy stack
- 15 second time addition for a very messy stack
Creativity adjustments:
- 25 second time subtraction for the most creative stack

The fastest to “Finnish” may not always finish first.

Competitive Vasta

You can do a good job picking your sauna buddy, but can you do an equally good job switching your sauna buddy?

Each team receives:

1 cedar switch
1 bucket full of body paint

Rules:

The goal is to use a vasta or vihta or sauna switch to fully cover your partner in body paint.
Two players are chosen from each team, and will wear proper swim attire.
The paint will be in the bucket and you will dip your vasta into the paint and switch it onto your partner until every part of their body below the neck is covered in paint (no faces please!).
Once the judge determines full coverage, the teammates swap roles and the switcher becomes the switch-ee.
Technique is switching only. Teams caught swiping or dragging paint will be issued a 5 second penalty pause each time they are caught during the race.

Scoring:

Fastest time wins

WATER STAGE

Bucket Carrying Championship

Transporting water efficiently is one of the oldest sauna skills.

Each competitor receives:

Two identical five-gallon buckets
Equal starting water weight

Rules:

The goal is to carry two 5-gallon buckets full of water to the finish line as fast as possible while losing as little water as possible.
One runner chosen per team.
The bucket judge will measure total water depth loss in settled buckets after the run.

Scoring:

Final time will be determined as the length of the run +2 seconds for every inch of water lost
The competitor who delivers the most water in the shortest adjusted time wins.

FIRE STAGE

Kindlesplit Challenge

Each team receives:

Two standard logs
A cheater log
An axe
A hatcher

Rules:

Two players are chosen from each team: a splitter and a bundler.
The goal is to split each of your team's 2 logs into kindling as fast as possible, starting with an ax and switching to a hatchet. This will be performed by the splitter from each team.
The team bundler will gather each split and either return them to the splitter OR bring them to the judge to determine if they are thin enough to stack into a finished bundle.
The max width of each piece of kindling is 1.5 inches. Judges will determine if the kindle piece needs to be split down more.

Scoring:

Fastest team to split and bundle all the kindling wins

The Prize

The winning team of the 2026 International Sauna Games will receive a $400 cash prize.

Records & Legacy

The International Sauna Games are intended to become a recurring international tradition.

Official records will be maintained for:

Individual events
National team results
Division champions
Lifetime achievements

Every competitor contributes to a growing history dedicated to preserving and advancing sauna culture around the world.