Ski star Beau-James Wells is keen to test his theory New Zealand is building its strongest ever Winter Olympics team.
He will get his chance at the Winter Games from late August, when some of the world's best snow sports athletes descend on the Southern Lakes skifields.
The Games are the first major championship of the season and come six months out from the Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea.
Halfpipe freeskier Wells, who placed sixth at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, will make his return after missing last season with a knee injury.
He will join brother Jackson and rising slopestyle skier Finn Bilous at the event, while Christy Prior and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott head the snowboard team.
Wells said the competition will make clearer the benchmark for the season ahead of February's Olympics.
"I started skiing again about four months ago over in America. I've got all my tricks back now and I feel like I'm skiing the best I've ever skied," Wells said.
"My knee's completely better now.
"It's going to be a packed field. It'll be just as many people there as there will be at the Olympics, if not more.
"It's going to be a good time to really measure yourself up against everyone else heading into the northern hemisphere season."
Despite its ski-friendly geography, New Zealand has claimed only one medal in 15 Winter Olympics - Annelise Coberger's ski slalom silver from Albertville 1992.
Wells believes that can change at the next Games.
"I think the New Zealand team is probably the strongest it's ever been," he said.
"We've got the most depth that we've ever had, that's for sure. The amount of talent we've got is really good.
"Every other country has so many more athletes than us. Injuries can happen so easily and with these other countries, they've got another person who can swoop right in who are just as good.
"But we are all looking healthy."
The Winter Games will be held from August 25 to September 10.