Bikini beauties compete at the boiling point

A contest which challenges people's ability to bear extremely high temperatures was held on December 22 at a hot-springs resort in Hunan Province.

Nearly 100 people were selected from over 10,000 applicants to take part in the contest.

In Finland, a similar contest, the World Sauna Championship, has been held annually since 1990, but it was put to an end last year due to the death of one of its finalists.

In addition, Timo Kaukonen, a five-time winner and reigning champion, was pulled out of the sauna room and sent to hospital for burns.

However, it seems that last year's tragedy has not disheartened Kaukonen. In this year's contest, the participants have to pass four preliminary rounds to enter the final and compete against Kaukonen.

The finalists will sit in sauna rooms and endure a temperature of over 100 C - the point at which water boils. The last person standing will win 100,000 yuan ($15,860).

In the preliminary four rounds, the contestants were also required to do yoga in bikinis in a hot spring at 45 C, soak their feet in 55 C water, run through a thick screen of hot spring water at 75 C, and scoop up a cup of water at the boiling point.

No one was able to pass the preliminary rounds. Kaukonen, however, managed to sit in a sauna room at a sweltering 120 C for 35 minutes and 42 seconds.

"The hot-spring sauna room is so amazing - I really enjoy the experience," Kaukonen said.

"In fact, I believe I could have stayed in there longer."

Changsha Evening Newspaper