Eurovision followers constructed a sauna and drove it 3,000 km to the grand last

[ad_1] As It Occurs 5:40 Eurovision followers construct a sauna and drive it 3,000 km to grand last

Robin Nyman's street journey to the grand last of the Eurovision Tune Contest was much less in regards to the vacation spot, and extra in regards to the buddies he made alongside the best way within the sauna connected to the again of his automotive.

Nyman and his buddies are supporting Sweden's Eurovision hopeful KAJ and their music Bara Bada Bastu, an upbeat ode to Northern European sauna tradition.

In order that they constructed a sauna collectively, then towed it behind a Eighties Volvo for roughly 3,000 kilometres from Vörå, Finland, to Basel, Switzerland, for the musical contest's last showdown on Saturday.

"It has been a beautiful journey stuffed with assembly individuals alongside the best way," Nyman informed As It Occurs host Nil Kӧksal.

"The core of our mission is connecting and constructing bridges to different individuals, and going into the sauna with strangers and, hopefully, popping out from the sauna with buddies."

The sauna as an incredible equalizer Nyman and his fellow KAJ followers — Oa Lönnbäck, Aja Lund, and Tom Tiainen — left Finland earlier this month and drove for eight days, crossing Stockholm, Copenhagen and Frankfurt to lastly park their sauna trailer in Basel on Thursday.

Earlier than they set out, they posted about their adventures on social media, inviting individuals alongside their route to affix them within the sauna, which might comfortably seat six to eight individuals.

After they spoke to CBC Radio on Monday, they have been in Strande, Germany, with "a brand new group of buddies."

"Proper now, we're opening the primary bottle of wine and sharing a dinner collectively, and I feel in an hour or two the sauna [will be] sizzling," Nyaman mentioned.

<img loading="lazy" alt="An old brown car drives down a street towing a small sauna as bystanders snap pictures with their phones" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D300 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D460 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D620 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D780 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D1180 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537684.1747430926!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=" style="aspect-ratio:1.4532019704433496" data-cy="image-img"/> The group towed the sauna from the again of a classic Volvo. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) There isn't any higher option to join with individuals than sharing a sauna, Nyman mentioned.

"To begin with, you allow your telephones outdoors as a result of it is sizzling and steamy. Second of all, you allow your garments on the skin," he mentioned.

"If you simply enter a sauna with a towel round you, it's extremely democratic and no person actually cares about occupation or earnings or historical past. You simply sit there and begin from zero."

Then, he says, the warmth kicks in, individuals unwind, and the dialog begins flowing.

"Among the Most worthy and deepest talks in our lives have really been inside a sauna."

Some 'awkward' moments Nonetheless, he admits the journey has had its tough spots — like after they stopped by the home of a lady in northern Sweden who noticed them on Instagram and invited them over.

"I do not know if she had forgot or simply thought it was higher to not inform her husband," Nyman mentioned. "So, that evening, seven individuals and a sauna and a few vehicles rolled up on their entrance porch and, yeah, he did not find out about it. In order that was a tad awkward."

However even that was no match for the calming energy of the sauna, he says.

"We kind of acquired him into the warmth of the sauna and, after some time, he relaxed," Nyman mentioned. "The evening simply was flying actually, actually easily after that."

<img loading="lazy" alt="Three smiling men in robes in a sauna" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D300 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D460 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D620 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D780 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=Resize%3D1180 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7537685.1747430983!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/music-eurovision-sauna-fans.JPG?im=" style="aspect-ratio:1.5031847133757963" data-cy="image-img"/> Kevin Holmstrom, Jakob Norrgard and Axel Ahman, members of the band KAJ, pose within the sauna their followers constructed for them. (BastutiBasel/Reuters) KAJ is representing Sweden, however the three band members come from neighbouring Finland, a rustic of 5.5 million individuals and three.3 million saunas, the place they're a part of the Swedish-speaking minority.

At Eurovision, the trio carry out their music, Bara Bada Bastu — which roughly interprets to "Simply Take a Sauna" — on a set styled like a country cabin within the woods, backed by dancers dressed as lumberjacks or in huge white towels.

Band member Kevin Holmström mentioned that the band is delighted to be an envoy for sauna tradition.

"It is a factor I actually endorse," he mentioned. "It is good for individuals. It's good for me, for each my psychological and bodily well being, and [it's] additionally a really social occasion."

KAJ entered Sweden's nationwide Eurovision choice contest pondering it'd get them some gigs in Sweden, then unexpectedly gained. Now, they're favoured by bookies to win the pan-continental music contest.

The Eurovision winner shall be determined by a mixture of public voting and factors from nationwide juries, and Nyman thinks KAJ has shot at victory.

But when they do not make it, Nyman says, it is no sweat off his again.

"Whether or not our group that we're supporting is successful or dropping, it is not a giant deal," he mentioned. "I feel we're all winners on this collectively anyway."