The International Sauna Association (ISA) is an association of national and other sauna societies, organisations and private people. It was founded in 1958 and pursues the goal of publicizing the sauna and promoting its use on a global scale by rallying supporters of sauna activities in different countries.
This goal is served e.g. by promoting the scientific studies of the sauna from e.g. such viewpoints as social history, folklore, medicine and technology. A particular emphasis is given to the collection and compilation in archives of the results of such scientific studies as well as other written material on sauna.
Rolf-A. Pieper is a trained sports scientist and linguist. Until the end of 2020, he was Managing Director of the Deutscher Sauna-Bund for 38 years. In addition, he was or is a member of the executive committee of important industry associations. He has given several hundred lectures and written articles on sauna bathing and related forms of bathing. In the laudations for tributes to his work, he is described as the “world’s best sauna expert”.
As Norways first male aromatherapist at age of 18, Lasse gained a bachelor in medicine at Atlantis medical school/Oslo, followed by different medical and sports massage studies. He worked as therapist with Norway National sport teams and opened up a private clinic. Working with hydrothermal therapy in sports for many years, Lasse made his career in wellness through consultancy, implementation and coaching. As a speaker at conferences in the wellness sector, his goal is to bring the wellness industry and the sauna world closer together.