Roughly thirty minutes south of Lake Superior, you'll find a large workshop full of people crafting saunas, as they have for many decades. The VIM team recently visited the workshop for a sauna session in the Oblique. After several years of design, it was time to fire up the heater and see how it performed.
Whenever you design a complex product that must be highly functional - and hopefully also beautiful - there's a lot of excitement and maybe a little anxiety when you first turn it on. Is it actually a successful design?
The VIM team got a boost of confidence through the unplanned connection we made with Nicole and Abbey, founders of Nordic Night Sauna. Their vision became reality: a community-focused public sauna in a unique and unassuming space near the city’s downtown.
Nicole and Abbey found their way into the Oblique as it sat at a cozy 180 degrees. Initially intending to step inside for only a moment to check out the interior, Nicole and Abbey found themselves mesmerized by the design and by the feeling of being held by the heat, and ended up changing into their suits to come back in for another round. As they describe it, only moments after sitting inside the Oblique, Abbey said aloud: “this is the one, Nicole.”
Nicole describes the feeling:
"When I first entered the Oblique, I was told by the builder that it was like sitting inside a tree. I now cannot get that analogy out of my head because it rang so true. I am a die hard for good heat sauna business owner. When I first sat in the Oblique at 180 degrees, it was like being held in the most incredible hug. The heat, even with the door wide open, envelops you in a way unmatched to any sauna I have ever sat in - and I have been in many saunas!! It was an instant yes for us, and we are excited to get to bring the Oblique into public community sauna spaces, and if I ever opt for a home sauna just for personal use, this will be the one for me."
Stay tuned for more details as we expand our collaboration with Nicole and Abbey, and if you find yourself in Stevens Point, plan a visit.