At 63 years old, Wim Hof, the Dutch motivational speaker known as the Iceman—for his Guinness World Records–famous feats of cold-related human endurance—has been thinking about warmer pastures, having recently mooted over the purchase of 10 hectares of Australian rain forest on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. “I love the cold,” says Hof. “I don’t like it, I love it. Because it is such a powerful tool. But I’m a sucker for botanical gardens.” Dressed in a zany floral-print shirt and bright blue, thigh-skimming board shorts, Hof bellows about the benefits of his Wim Hof Method (WHM), a combination of deep-breathing techniques, cold exposure and ice baths. “Your body becomes stronger inside to oppose the stress from the outside, ” he says. “That’s why I never get sick. Because I make my body work.” Hof’s charisma is undeniable, but he occasionally veers into a kind of ableist health exceptionalism that has arguably come This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Eight Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 51 Field Notes How to watch the water. Arts & Culture Issue 48 Figure Skating with Mirai Nagasu The Olympic athlete has known glory, pain and transcendence on the ice. Arts & Culture Issue 48 The Kitchen Sink An ode to the fount of domestic life. Arts & Culture Issue 48 Water, Water Everywhere How the 32-ounce water bottle became a lifestyle prop. Arts & Culture Issue 40 In Season Potable water meets palatable design. Arts & Culture Issue 37 Consider the Hot Tub Cleaning up the history of steamy soaks.
Arts & Culture Issue 48 Figure Skating with Mirai Nagasu The Olympic athlete has known glory, pain and transcendence on the ice.
Arts & Culture Issue 48 Water, Water Everywhere How the 32-ounce water bottle became a lifestyle prop.
