No one knows more about saunas than the people of Finland. Even though the sauna is not a Finnish invention, its importance to Finnish culture cannot be underestimated. At last count, one sauna could be found in Finland for every three of the country’s 5.1 million residents. That’s about 1.7 million saunas in total. Finland is also home to the World Sauna Championships, popularly regarded as the world’s hottest summer event. Each year, as many as 100 participants from around the world compete to see who can endure the heat of a 110-degree Celsius hot sauna the longest. To increase the steaming effect, half a liter of water is thrown on the sauna stove every 30 seconds. Not surprisingly, the competition has traditionally been dominated by Finnish participants, such as 2003 men’s champion Timo Kaukonen who withstood 16 minutes and 15 seconds in the intense heat without breaking any of the contest’s strict rules. That same year, however, Natalia Tryfanava became…