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 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.

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.’

Since its release the film has toured Australia & New Zealand and grabbed the Jury’s Pick Award at prestigious iF3 Film Festival.

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.

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.

Filmed & Edited by @chrismaunsell

Original score by @sam_wave_

Produced by @hankbilous & @chrismaunsell 

Directed by @hankbilous & @chrismaunsell

Written by @hankbilous

The North Face Australia & New Zealand @thenorthface_aunz