With the focus of our May issue centered on watersports, we wanted to highlight someone in the industry who has made a career of being pulled behind a boat, and Zenon Bilas clearly fits that description. As a watersports enthusiast, Zenon is a nine-time USA Barefoot Waterskiing champion and today is teaching and sharing his passion for the sport with others.
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Zenon grew up in Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago, Ill., after his parents emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1955. The family’s 15-foot Silver Line boat with an 85 horsepower Mercury got him into boating, but it was the Cypress Gardens water skiers, who did a ski show on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago in the late 70s, that inspired him to want to learn how to water ski one day.
“We were fishing and boating in Ontario, Canada, in June of 1974 and the cottage we rented came with a pair of water skis so I gave it a try,” recalls Zenon. “But I had no instruction and was not successful. However, the next summer we were boating on Round Lake near our home, where there was a Ukrainian sports and recreational club. My brother bought water skis, and a friend from the club got in the water with me to help me get in the right starting position.”
This just happened to be the weekend the movie Jaws came out, and even though Zenon knew it was a fresh water lake, he was hesitant at first to even get in the water. With some instruction and encouragement he got up on the second try and recalls the excitement he felt as he circled the lake on water skis.
Still Going Strong
Today Zenon still enjoys competing on the water. In fact, at the 2021 USA Barefoot National Championship in Conroe, Texas, he won the slalom competition in the Open division.
The slalom event involves two 15-second passes. One pass is forward, and one pass is backward. The goal is cross the boat's wake back and forth as many times as possible in each 15-second pass. When you cross the boat's wake on two feet, you get a half a point. When you cross the boat's wake completely on one foot, you get a full point. The judges combine the score from the front and back passes and the highest total score wins the event. His win last summer was his ninth National Championship.
Ukrainian Heritage
Zenon’s success has earned him a lot of awards and recognition, but his biggest honor came when he was inducted into the Ukrainian Sports Hall of Fame. The Hall is located in Pennsylvania and is for athletes and coaches who were born in Ukraine or are of Ukrainian descent.
“It is a huge honor for me to have been inducted into the Ukrainian Sports Hall of Fame, in the company of such iconic sports figures as Wayne Gretzky, Mike Ditka and Oksana Baiul,” says Zenon. “It reinforces my pride in my Ukrainian heritage.”
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Returning To Chicago
Before the pandemic put a halt to most major boat shows, Zenon was teaching seminars for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) as part of a new interactive feature, The Discover Boating Experience. This opportunity gave him a chance to return to Chicago to present his “For the Love of Wake Sports” where he grew up.
“I remember in the 1970s during the cold winter months counting the days until the Chicago Boat Show,” says Zenon. “It was an opportunity to see all the new boats, engines and ski equipment and to watch films of water-skiing. I went there to learn as much as I could. It was rewarding to have come full circle, and return to the show as a speaker on wake sports, sharing my 40 years of experience.”
Next Generation
In addition to the speaking topics on wake sports, Zenon has expanded to include general interest audiences, such as middle schools and high schools in South Florida where he now lives. He has received calls and emails from principals who want him to come and speak to their students.
It’s a great opportunity for him to share his experiences while getting the next generation excited about wake sports. For more information visit www.zenonbilas.com.
