The outdoor temperature had fallen below freezing, but Mr. Tamm was dressed in just a pair of shorts and a white floppy hat with the words "Sauna Boss" embroidered across the front.
"It is a real Estonian smoke sauna with a sweet and juicy steam, " boasted local businessman Tarmo Tamm, who owns one of the sweltering saunas that dot the unusual competition and are a source of national pride.