Featured Image: Hunter Paull | Skier: Finn Bilous
Sometimes you need to go back to go forward. When we heard Finn Bilous was re-releasing one of our favorite edits of all time, there was no question we had to take another look. "White Noise" is back online and we couldn't be more thrilled.
In 2021, Bilous, Hunt Cinema, Finlay Woods and friends put together "White Noise" towards the end of the season at Treble Cone Resort in New Zealand. Seeing as TC is Bilous's home turf, it makes sense that he would have an uncanny knack for finding the best flow down the mountain.
That's exactly what we get here, only unlike most cuts today, there's no loud music permeating the background. You'll find no wild transitions, no snarky dialogue or funny b-roll, just pure white noise echoing blissfully into your ears. Stripped away, the project leaves us with a true sense of appreciation for the craft. It's impossible not to take note of the dedication needed to scope this line, build the track, find the right camera angles and finally execute. But in the end, it's the refined beauty of the whole project that makes it so timeless. Less is more, as they say.
To this day, you'd be hard-pressed to track down someone with a more organic style than Bilous. Far from contrived, his skiing represents the peak of focus and intention when it comes to moving through the mountains. Short and sweet, we hope "White Noise" brings you the mid-week breath of fresh air you were after.
From YouTube:
A special project to me from back in 2021, created in collaboration with my previous outerwear sponsor, Quiksilver. Unfortunately, the original video was taken down from Quiksilver's YouTube channel along with some of my favourite snow/surf films. Happy to re-share this film on my own channel and relive some great memories. A huge team effort to bring this one to life thanks to the help of some of my best mates. Please enjoy, 'White Noise' - Finn.
From Quiksilver - "Once the lifts were still and the crowds were gone, Finn Bilous utilised his home resort of Treble Cone in Wanaka, NZ to capture a new creative project. With the gullies and ridges loaded with spring snow, Finn’s canvas was now blank and open to interpretation. With the help of an eclectic bunch of Finn’s mates and mountain bike trail building crew, Flux Trails, the boys took to his favourite run Crag's Shooter, to create a top to bottom snake line that complements Finn’s unique eye and laidback surf style. Camping high up on the mountain for 3 days, the crew carved out one flowy line through the natural halfpipes that makes this run so unique. Riding a pair of fish tail skis, hand painted by Finn himself. The checkerboard rails and dimension detailing on ‘The Twin Finn’ ski draws ties to Finn’s heavy influence from art, design and surf cultures. Partnered with Hunt Cinema’s alternative approach to ski filming, who’s mountain bike influence spills into this project with the pure sound of Finns skis on snow creating the soundscape. Stripping the soundtrack, and a restrained style of edit taking skiing back to its simplest raw form to show the pure essence of solidarity and freedom of expression provided by the mountains. When skiing turns to White Noise."
Location: Treble Cone, Wanaka, NZ
Athlete: Finn Bilous
Production: Hunt Cinema
Director/Editor: Hunter Paull
Filmer: Finlay Woods
Sound Design: Scott Robb
Photographers: Matt Cherubino, Tom Fisher
Build: Flux Trail
Build Crew: Matt Begg, Jacob O’Donoghue-Price, Ben Richards, Tom Caulton, Matt Cherubino, Tom Fisher, Finlay Woods, Hunter Paull, Finn Bilous
Producers: Nick Stevenson, Finn Bilous
