The ritual dates back thousands of years, but it has recently seen a surge in popularity; an Aufguss World Championship has been held every September for the past decade. (The United States will participate in this year’s championship, in Verona, Italy.) Competitors are graded on five categories, ranging from Professionalism (“Eye contact, connection with audience, fitness condition”) to Increase and Distribution of the Heat. Towel-waving involves an intricate flow of flips, curls, and twirls, each with its own name: helicopter, dirty copter, pizza, super8. The nationals showcased a specialty called Theatre Aufguss, in which the contestant performs a dramatic narrative. As a regular put it, “It’s Kabuki in the heat.”journey-inline-newsletterinline-newsletter