You know you’re doing something right when your idea starts with:
“What if we put a sauna on an island… and wakeboard over it?”
That’s exactly what happened when the PortaSauna team rolled up to South Coast Wake Park for a day none of us will forget. What started as a fun content shoot quickly turned into a world-first stunt — combining the heat of the sauna with the adrenaline of high-speed wakeboarding.
Here’s how it all went down.
Building a Sauna Island
We’ve taken our saunas to some wild places. Beaches. Forests. Gardens. But this time, we wanted something different. Something bigger. So we floated a PortaSauna HEX on a pontoon in the middle of the lake. Yes, seriously — a floating wood-fired sauna on a lake.
If you’ve ever built a sauna on solid ground, you’ll know the logistics are enough to keep you busy. But building one on an island? With floating walkways, anchors, and heat-proof stability? It’s another level.
By mid-morning, smoke was rising from the chimney, the fire was roaring, and the island sauna was ready. The calm steam, surrounded by water and the sound of birds… It was everything you’d want in a remote wellness retreat — if that retreat also happened to be located on a wakeboarding lake with athletes flying through the air nearby.
The Wakeboarding Begins
Enter Maddox Talboys, our sponsored wakeboarder and all-round legend. Maddox had one mission: go big. And he didn’t disappoint.
Within minutes, he was landing clean 360s, hitting rails with precision, and launching tricks that made us all forget how cold the water was. But we weren’t just here to watch.
We’d placed the PortaSauna HEX right in the firing line — and Maddox sent it over the sauna with a perfect jump. Wakeboarders have jumped boats, rails, and ramps… but a wood-fired sauna? That’s a first.
We got the footage. Slow-mo. Drone shots. GoPro POV. Even the ducks stopped to watch.
Recovery Mode: Sauna + Plunge
After the adrenaline came the recovery. That’s what PortaSauna is all about, after all — contrast therapy, the blend of fire and ice.
Post-session, Maddox climbed out of the lake, threw a log in the firebox, and jumped into the heat. Steam clung to the glass. Muscles relaxed. Then, with a quick countdown, he was back in the plunge pool for a cold-water hit that only those who’ve done it can really explain.
We call this the PortaSauna effect. That moment when you're lit up from the inside — a mix of energy, calm, and total presence. It's why we do what we do.
More Than Just a Stunt
Yeah, it looked cool. But this wasn’t just a social media moment (although it will make a hell of a reel). It was a celebration of what portable wellness can be.
A reminder that saunas don’t need four walls and a tiled floor. That wellness doesn’t need to be still and quiet. That recovery can happen anywhere — even in the middle of a wakeboarding lake.
What’s Next?
Let’s just say this won’t be the last crazy idea we bring to life. Floating saunas, wakeboard jumps, pop-up retreats, festival takeovers… PortaSauna is just getting started.
If you’ve got a wild location, a great idea, or just want to try a sauna that doesn’t sit still — we’d love to hear from you.
Stay hot, stay moving.
PortaSauna 🔥
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