Meet Timo Wilderness: Finland’s favorite swamp wrestling vlogger
Timo Korpi is better known as Timo Wilderness. He is one of Finland’s most popular vloggers. His YouTube channel features an eclectic mix of English-language travel diaries, skits and his popular series, WTF – Welcome to Finland. The series explores various aspects of Finnish life.
Two of his videos became major social media hits recently. The first, Swamp Wrestling, explores Finnish bogs. This combination of subject matter and cinematography gained nearly a million views and 10,000 shares on Facebook. The second video, The world’s most public sauna, celebrates Sompasauna in Helsinki. This free and always open sauna represents a unique part of public sauna culture.
Swamp wrestling and viral hits
How would you describe yourself and your vlog in three sentences or less?
In Finland we have a saying that every fool has his own happiness for cheap and idiots have it for free. My vlog is about cheap thrills and a minimalistic lifestyle. I enjoy making music video style pieces about things that seem worthless to most people.
What inspired you to start vlogging?
My initial inspiration was Mitchell Davis and other early American and British YouTubers in 2009. I was hooked by the feeling that someone was telling me stories from the other side of the world. There was no production business or TV stations in between. It felt beautiful and honest.
The creative process
What is your shooting and editing process like?
Long and lengthy. Shooting can be quick and spontaneous but planning, writing and editing take a long time. I can easily spend a full work week on one video. Planning can start years earlier.
Travel experiences
Throughout your travels, what has been the most amazing experience? How about the scariest?
The most amazing was meeting a man in a grocery store and being invited to dig up the bones of his grandfather. It was a Balinese funeral ritual called Ngaben. They let me feel the skull. The scariest was in Thailand. I kayaked and camped around a remote island alone. There were terrors like creepers, darkness and big waves. Nothing was really dangerous but it was scary.
Recommendations for Finland
What is the number one thing to do in Finland for both tourists and locals?
Sompasauna is the best choice. It is the most public sauna in the world and always free. It is how Mad Max would bathe while in Helsinki.
Sad that sauna closes. It perhaps the best in Finland. Perhaps even the world!!
Feel stupid I never knew Finland was named after swamps. Would make more sense if was named after lakes, IMO
Land of a thousand swamps doesn’t have quite same appeal though does it?
Ahhhhhh! Can’t stand the idea of rolling around in swampy mud. Sauna looks great though.
Best YouTuber in Finland, IMO
I’d wrestle Beyonce too. But not in a swamp :)
WTF!! You guys are crazy. Wouldn’t get me wrestling in swamps like that for all the koskenkorva in Finland :)