By Jay Greene

The Latest Snow Gear

Just as certain as the early blizzards that dump November snow in the Rockies, every ski and snowboard season brings with it a new batch of products, all proclaiming to show off cutting-edge innovation. And some even do. Most, though, feature tweaks to tried-and-true designs to make gear more responsive and lighter at the same time. Some "breakthroughs," meanwhile, consist merely of a splashy new look that companies hope might catch the eye of fickle buyers when the flurries start to fall in earnest. Here's a batch of the coolest new gear both for skiers and boarders for the 2009-2010 season, ordered from cheap(ish) to pricey.