Aufguss

[iwatchus]

I just saw a story about aufguss, a new sport(?). The article itself is paywalled, but here is a summary from the announcement for the US championships: https://www.designforleisure.com/expertise/aufguss-usa-nationals. This was the first year the US has participated. It is originally german and has been done competitively for a decade now.

It takes place in a sauna, where the two competitors dance. As far as I can tell, the idea is to properly distribute steam, temperature and aromas to the crowd. I am kind of mystified beyond that.

There has to be some story opportunities in here.

 

[HansDerEhewichser]

Well I think it is as asexual meant as it can be.

Although you are right, there is room for a story. Image the main person dropping her handkerchief and showing off boobs. Audience gets aroused and you see all the men pleasuring themselves. Quite far from reality but great idea.

 

[TheLobster]

Aufguss

I’m afraid you’re two weeks too late; it’s already the middle of Seppemfer.

 

[HordHolm]

This goes way, way, way back to 'sauna meisters' whose job was to distribute the steam around the sauna. This became 'ritualised' for want of a better word, with particular collaborative moves that the sauna meister led and the group in the sauna participated in. Some time back in the early noughties this developed into competitive championships which include theatrical interpretations and the like, and which include an audience.

 

[iwatchus]

I have never really experienced sauna culture. Thank you to those of you who understand this and helped me understand. It just seemed very odd from the outside.

@Actingup you could have included this in Sunshine. It would have been way too much to explain in the story, but wold have fir well all the same.

 

[Actingup]

I have never really experienced sauna culture. Thank you to those of you who understand this and helped me understand. It just seemed very odd from the outside.

@Actingup you could have included this in Sunshine. It would have been way too much to explain in the story, but wold have fir well all the same.

Hah! The sauna in that story was based on a specific hotel that I’ve stayed at in Munich, and there was definitely no performative steam distributor.

Just my opinion, but I think that saunas and onsen culture work best in erotica when they are reasonably true to life (ie people usually behave themselves) but they are titillating the reader for what might happen in private afterwards. I wrestled with this in another story (A crack in the glass) that had mixed nudity in a Japanese rotenburo (outdoor onsen), based again on an actual experience. In the end, it felt much better and truer not having any public sex in the onsen, although I did change one cultural detail by removing any reference to children being part of the nude mixed bathing.

 

[Omenainen]

This goes way, way, way back to 'sauna meisters' whose job was to distribute the steam around the sauna. This became 'ritualised' for want of a better word, with particular collaborative moves that the sauna meister led and the group in the sauna participated in. Some time back in the early noughties this developed into competitive championships which include theatrical interpretations and the like, and which include an audience.

Whaaaat is this blasphemy

As a resident Finn, I feel obliged to point out that having sex in a sauna is heart failure material for practically anyone Lit-aged. At least if done right (both sauna and sex). If you take sauna to mean a mildly tepid room with no löyly, like some nations do, then whatever.

 

[HordHolm]

Whaaaat is this blasphemy

As a resident Finn, I feel obliged to point out that having sex in a sauna is heart failure material for practically anyone Lit-aged. At least if done right (both sauna and sex). If you take sauna to mean a mildly tepid room with no löyly, like some nations do, then whatever.

Well, I would like to point out that I mentioned nothing about sauna sex (which is definitely cruising for an appointment with the paramedics, I will agree). Aufguss is about towel waving, I'm led to believe.