US.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING OVER.

>> Cathy: APPRECIATE IT.

>> Eric: THANKS.

>> CATHY: MINNESOTA'S HISTORY HAS BEEN ENRICHED BY FINNISH IMMIGRANTS FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS.

THEY BROUGHT THEIR CULTURAL TRADITIONS WITH THEM, INCLUDING THE JOY OF SWEATING IN A SOW-NAH.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE REPORTS THAT IT'S NOW BECOME BIG BUSINESS.

AND IN THE U.S., MINNESOTA IS LEADING THE WAY.

>> THESE ARE FRONT-ROW SEATS, SO IT'S AS CLOSE YOU CAN GET FROM LAKE SUPERIOR AND ENJOY IT FROM THE INSIDE OF A SAUNA.

>> THE TWO IS A VIEW FROM ONE OF TWO CEDAR-LINED SAUNAS IN GRAND MARAIS.

THE OWNER EXPLAINS THE NAME COMES FROM FINNISH.

A NOD TO NORDIC-STYLE SAUNAS.

>> IT REFERS TO THE CONCEPT OF FORTITUDE, TENACITY, OR GRIT.

AND LOLU REFERS TO THE STEAM THAT RISES OFF OF OF THE SAUNA ROCKS WHEN YOU PUT WATER ON THEM.

>> GRAND MARAIS WAS THE PERFECT BEAUTY WAS THE PERFECT BACKDROP TO START A BUSINESS.

PRONOUNCED SOW-NAH IN FINNISH SAYS SHE'S NOT A GATEKEEPER AROUND THE WORD.

>> I KNOW THAT SOW-NAH IS THE TRADITIONAL PRONUNCIATION AND I RESPECT THAT AND I HAVE ADOPTED THAT, NOT PERFECT, BY ANY MEANS.

LOTS OF PEOPLE SAY SAUNA AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

>> SHE AND HER YOUNG FAMILY SPENT TIME IN GRAND MARAIS DURING COVID, THEY LOVED IT SO MUCH THEY DECIDED TO SELL THEIR TWIN CITIES HOME AND MOVE UP FULL TIME.

HER HUSBAND COULD WORK REMOTELY BUT SHE FOUND A NEW JOB.

THEY FOUND A LAKESIDE PROPERTY BUT IT NEEDED A LOT OF WORK.

THEY SOON INVESTED A MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN SAVINGS AND LOANS.

SOME WONDERED IF THEIR BUSINESS WAS JUST HOT AIR.

>> I KNOW THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHEN WE OPENED UP AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT CREATING A SAUNA BUSINESS, SOME PEOPLE, HOW ARE OU GOING TO MAKE MONEY AT THAT?

OR WILL THAT LAST?

>> Kaomi: THE RISK IS PAYING OFF.

FOUR YEARS LATER, SHE NOW HAS EIGHT PART-TIME STAFF, A FLOATING SAUNA AND A MOBILE SAUNA HAVE BEEN ADD.

AND THERE'S MORE TO COME.

>> WE'RE TOO STRESSED OUT, WE'RE FULL OF ANXIETY, WE'RE POST COVID, WE'RE POST THIS PANDEMIC, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR MOMENTS TO BE REAL HUMANS NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

AND SAUNA DOES THAT.

>> Kaomi: JUSTIN IS A SIXTH GENERATION FINNISH AMERICAN WHO GREW UP WITH SAUNA.

HIS SAUNA IS ON THE DULUTH WATER FRONT AT THE HOTEL.

THERE ARE TWO WOOD-FIRED SAUNAS AND A OLD PLUNGE IN LAKE SUPERIOR.

IN WARMER MONTHS, HE OPENS A FLOATING SAUNA.

HE ALSO DESIGNS AND BUILDS SAUNAS, SHIPPING OUT TEN A MONTH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

HE NOW HAS 70 EMPLOYEES.

>> WE'RE ABOUT A $5 MILLION COMPANY TODAY FOR TOP-LINE REVENUE EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

WE'VE JUST EXPANDED OUR MANUFACTURING.

SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE.

WE'VE HAD OVER A YEAR-LONG WAIT LIST FOR OUR SAUNAS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

>> Kaomi:S PROJECTIONS TRACK WITH OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY.

SAUNAS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK IN A BIG WAY.

NOW PLACES ALL OVER THE STATE, LIKE PORTAL IN St.

LOUIS PARK, OR THE 70-PERSON SAUNA CAMP IN INDEPENDENCE, HAVE OPENED.

JUSTIN SAYS MINNESOTA IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE EPICENTERS OF THE MOVEMENT NATIONALLY.

SAUNAS HAVE BEEN PART OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA CULTURE SINCE FINNISH MMIGRANTS FIRST ARRIVED IN 1864.

>> TODAY WE'RE EEING A LOT OF INVESTMENT INTO THE SECTOR BROADLY, BIG, BIG COMPANIES, BIG EUROPEAN COMPANIES WANTING TO COME INTO THE STATES.

OTHER HOME BUILDING SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANIES BUYING SAUNA COMPANIES.

>> Kaomi: GLEN HAS BEEN A SAUNA ADVANTAGE LIST SINCE -- EVANGELIST SINCE THE 1990s.

>> I CALL IT THE HOLY TRINITY OF GOOD SAUNAS, HEAT, STEAM, AND VENTILATION.

>> Kaomi: HE WAS EARLY IN THE SAUNA MOVEMENT IN THE TWIN CITIES THROUGH THE 612 SAUNA SOCIETY.

A DECADE AGO HE BUILT A MOBILE SAUNA FOR AN ICE FISHING HOUSE.

>> 612 IS AHEAD OF ITS TIME AND IT WAS RIGHT FOR ITS TIME.

IT BROUGHT SAUNA TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IN PLACES THAT YOU WOULD NOT NORMALLY EXPECT.

BREWERIES, LAKES, RIGHT NOW IT'S SITTING AT THE LOP PIT TRAIL -- LOPPET TRAIL HEAD UP BY CEDAR LAKE.

AND TO HAVE THAT IN OUR CITY IS A GEM.

>> Kaomi: AND HE SAYS CONTRAST THERAPY, GOING FROM HOT TO COLD TEMPERATURES, IS GOOD FOR YOU.

HE SAYS STUDIES SHOW SAUNA CAN IMPROVE OVERALL WELL-BEING AND LONGEVITY.

BUT HE WARNS AGAINST SETTING EXPECTATIONS AROUND SPECIFIC CLAIMS, SUCH AS REDUCING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE OR WEIGHT LOSS.

>> IF ONE IS LEADING WITH HEALTH BENEFITS, I THINK THAT IT'S A TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

I MEAN, ENJOY IT AND THEN HEALTH BENEFITS DOWN THE ROAD.

>> YOU'RE WARM BUT THEN YOU'RE GETTING THIS IMMEDIATE COLD ON THE SKIN AND IT'S LIKE -- IT FEELS REALLY GOOD.

>> I LIKE THIS BETTER THAN THE COLD PLUNGE.

>> IT'S NOT ABOUT BIG DOLLARS, IT'S NOT ABOUT CAPITALIZING ON THIS WAVE OR THIS TREND.

>> Kaomi: MEGAN CREST OWNS AND OPERATES A WOOD-FIRED MOBILE SAUNA IN THE DULUTH AREA.

SHE GOT STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO AFTER SEEING HOW SAUNA OVERLAPPED HER INTEREST IN WILDERNESS GUIDING.

SHE SAYS THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO SAUNA.

>> I REALLY WANT TO MAKE IT AN INVITING SPACE FOR PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THIS GROWING UP AS A INNESOTAN OR