This is a test. Each fall, thousands of hardgoods, softgoods and accessories hit retail outlets worldwide, destined to fulfill the aspirations of 14.8 million folks, from novices to pros, young and old, male and female, who participate in a snow sport each season. In fact, there were $2.8 billion dollars in sales during the 2008-2009 season alone—an amount of dollar bills that, if stacked atop one another, would stretch from Denver, up I-70, through Glenwood, and come to a rest just before Aspen. Them's a whole lotta products.

But how do you pick the best stuff? Well, first you take a staff of four editors with 100-plus years of combined lifetime on-snow experience and let them decide, because it's their job to do the legwork for you. Then, for the real test, you bring the gear to people who've never seen it before, to places it's never been, to do things that were never in the blueprints during their creation. Then you wait and see what happens.

We hit the streets in four snowy epicenters of the country to determine the best gear for each location.

Fix Goggle - $105

Get your fix of elemental vision impairment reduction. Engineered to match the curvature of your eyeball, these goggs bestow an unaltered natural view, perfect for dodging Texans in tucks and vehicles on you afternoon fitness ride. "I wear goggles when I ride so I don't have to shave my eyebrows,"says bike commuter Aaron Clark.


Photo: CRISPIN CANNON/ESPN ACTION SPORTS

Team Issue Pole - $120

Made from the strongest commercially available aircraft-aluminum, the Team Issue is stout and stylish, with straps how you want 'em. They also make a decent epee -- or weapon, for champion fencer Nina van Loon, 15, of the Northern Colorado Fencing Club. " It's only a lil heavier than my epee," she says, "but it;s longer, so I'd have an advantage with this."


Photo: DAVELEHLl/ESPN.COM/Action