After competing on the Freeride World Tour, and transitioning into a new career in nursing, Hank Bilous brings us an exposé into the relationship between different passions, the skill sets behind them, and the self-expression that mastery of them allows.
In his directorial and producing debut, Hank adds another qualification to his quiver: skier, surfer, writer, nurse – now director and producer. The War on Style opens the lid on Bilous’ creative mind – exploring the difference between technical skills and self-expression by applying these concepts to his familiar and unfamiliar worlds of skiing, surfing, nursing, skateboarding and more.
The framework of The War on Style was inspired by Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, written by Robert M. Pirsig, and its discussion of static and dynamic qualities in a theory of reality. Interpreting these ideas, and merging them with his own world experience, Hank explores the relationship between technical skills and self-expression.
The War on Style is an audiovisual experience, propelled forward by the poetic observations gathered from what Hank refers to as his ‘big-little life.’ The War on Style was shot on location in Gisborne, Wānaka and Dunedin, New Zealand.
Hank approaches skiing through a creative lens – taking one look at the obvious and doing the opposite. His style is imaginative and unpredictable, and his approach is notoriously big. Hank’s technique is largely inspired by his love of surfing, bringing an aggressive elegance that comes from surfing, into a form of skiing that can only be described as – uniquely Hank.
In a small part of a big journey, Hank found himself on multiple podiums on the Freeride World Tour in 2020, claiming silver in Hakuba and bronze in Fieberbrunn. Making the shift from the competitive sphere, Hank’s skiing has taken a turn into a more exploratory realm, where boundaries cease to exist and there are no limits on fun or creativity.
Hank took a brief, but invaluable hiatus from skiing to finish his nursing degree and has been working as a registered nurse in the emergency department of a small community in the North Island of New Zealand. This change of pace proved to be an enriching life experience for Hank. Not only has it shaped his perspective and given his life balance, but it has ultimately created space for him to pursue his passion for skiing from an even more expressive standpoint.
For The War on Style Hank teamed up with Chris Maunsell – a cinematographer from Dunedin, New Zealand. Chris is an innate problem solver and maker, regularly undertaking a range of mixed media projects. Chris has a passion for authentic storytelling in the athlete world, particularly those that go fast, and exhibit their own style.
Sam Wave is the moniker of Sam Mehrtens, an indie visionary from New Zealand. His fascination of genres and mediums makes for an exciting journey when discovering his works. Currently based in Sydney, Sam continues to create music and films that explore the obscurities and beauty of you.
This film will resonate with any surfer or person with an affinity for any sport in the outdoors. Give it a watch …
Credits:
Filmed & Edited by Chris Maunsell
Original score by Sam Wave
Produced by Hank Bilous & Chris Maunsell
Directed by Hank Bilous & Chris Maunsell
Written by Hank Bilous
