Finn Bilous | White Noise

The sound says it all. A meditative kickback of slush and corn snow that peels off from Finn Bilous’ skis with each turn. Ssschhh. Sccchhh. Broken only by silence when he sends it high above the Southern Alps. Ssschhh. He touches down. It’s late season in New Zealand. It’s hero snow. But few rise to the occasion like Finn. Few have the fluidity on skis he does. Fewer have the vision to find the lines he rides. Once the lifts were still and the crowds were gone at Treble Cone in Wanaka, Finn let loose on his home resort for White Noise. With the gullies and ridges loaded with spring snow, Finn’s favorite canvas was now blank and open to interpretation. Utilizing the help of an eclectic bunch of his mates, along with mountain bike trail-building crew, Flux Trails, Finn took to his most-loved run, Crag’s Shooter, to create a top-to-bottom snake line that complemented his unique eye and laidback surf style. Camping high up on the mountain for three days, the boys carved out a flowy line, weaving through the natural halfpipes that makes this run so unique. When it was finally time to drop in, Finn rode a pair of swallowtail skis he hand-painted himself called the Twin Finn, featuring checkerboard rails and dimension detailing heavily influenced by Finn’s love of
art, design, and surf cultures. Finn’s uncommon perspective paired perfectly with Hunt Cinema’s alternative approach to ski filming; mountain bike influence spills into this project through the pure sound of Finn’s skis on snow to create the soundscape. Stripping the soundtrack, plus a restrained style of edit, takes skiing back to its simplest, raw form, showcasing the freedom of expression provided by the mountains. When skiing turns to WhiteNoise.

 Directed and edited by Hunter Paull, filmed by Finlay Woods, produced by Nick Stevenson, and with sound design by Scott Rob.