The Big Bang: The 2014 Perfect Sweat Summit

In March 2014, the "Big Bang" of the modern North American sauna renaissance occurred at Archimedes Banya in San Francisco.

Organized by award-winning author and photographer Mikkel Aaland and supported by the Executive Producer of Sauna Channel's precursor documentary series, Perfect Sweat, the Perfect Sweat Summit was an invite-only gathering that brought together fifty of the world’s most influential sauna builders, cultural historians, and wellness advocates.

At a time when sauna culture was often misunderstood as a mere gym amenity, this summit redefined it as a vital "Third Space" for community, health, and authentic ritual. The conversations captured here laid the groundwork for the professional standards, cooperative advocacy, and cultural resurgence that define the industry today.

Key Voices & Attendees

This historic footage features a "Who's Who" of global sweat culture, including:

▸ Mikkel Aaland – Host of the Perfect Sweat series and author of the 1978 classic, Sweat.

▸ Mika Hotakainen – Acclaimed Finnish Director of Steam of Life.

▸ Glenn Auerbach – Founder of Sauna Times and host of the Sauna Talk podcast.

▸ Mikhail Brodsky – Visionary founder of Archimedes Banya.

▸ Jarmo Lehtola – Expert guide and Finnish sauna advocate, Finnish Sauna Society.

▸ Lasse Eriksen – Norwegian sauna master and leader in the Badstulaug movement, member of the board at the International Sauna Association, and co-host of the Norway episode of the Perfect Sweat series.

▸ Molly Reichert & John Pederson – Architects and pioneers of the mobile sauna movement (612 Sauna Society). (Molly's website)

▸ Michael Nordskog – Author of The Opposite of Cold.

▸ Matt Wiggins – Expert in holistic health systems and wellness advocacy.

▸ Clint Carlson – Custom sauna builder and industry craftsman.

▸ Perry Garfinkel – Journalist and Author of Becoming Ghandi: My Experiment Living the Mahatma’s 6 Moral Truths in Immoral Times.

▸ Mary Bemis – Founder and Author of Insider's Guide to Spa's

▸ Nell Waters – Founder of Sweat Temples, and Author of Water. Heat. People

▸ Crystal Carlson – founder of Ladywell’s Vitality Spa, Greenwood (lost due to the pandemic)

▸ Irem Goroglu & Larry Holeman – representing Banya 5, Seattle, WA

▸ Phil Cousineau – Writer & Filmmaker (official website)

▸ Leonard Koren – Author (official website)

▸ Surinder Bains – Miraj Hammam Spa - Toronto, Canada

▸ Kathy Nelson – Kabuki Springs & Spa, San Francisco, CA

▸ Stephen A. Colmant – Doctor, Las Cruces, NM, guest author at Sauna Times and author of Sweat Therapy: A Guide to Greater Well Being

▸ Bare Foot Ted MacDonald – Endurance Athelete and founder of Luna Sandals

A Legacy of Cooperative Advocacy

The 2014 Summit was the first time these pioneers moved from working in isolation to collaborating as a unified movement. From discussing the "Sauna Extension" to raising the literal and metaphorical height of the sauna bench, the participants of the Perfect Sweat Summit ignited a boom in US bathing culture that continues to grow more than a decade later.

Learn more about the event by visiting Mikkel Aaland's website

UZBEKISTAN

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara Hammam (Female)

Explore how women and infants experience traditional healing methods in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Male Hammam

Step inside Bukhara’s ancient underground hammam, where centuries of heat, ritual, and healing continue to endure.