It really bums me out that most of the posts here turn into pissing contests about whose style of riding is better than the other when it comes to carving and riding a snowboard. It also strikes me as very odd how competitive alot of people are on this post. Why are people so worried about proving that they are better or can one-up someone they have never met or ridden with? Why would you care or take offense if someone says that they are a damn good snowboarder? There are good soft boot riders that can carve, and there are quite a few that turn heads on the chairlift. That doesn't mean that they do it better than guys with plates and hardboots. A very smart man once told me "show me someone arguing with an idiot, and I'll show you two idiots". The soft vs. hard bashing is the same as carvers vs. racers. Why can't we all just get along?
P.S. The clothing rule for BoarderCross was originally instituted for safety. The idea was that G.S. suits provided little protection in rider-on-rider collisions, and slightly baggy clothing offered more. It is a similar reason as to why race suits for FIS and Olympic ski racing have to have a minimum porosity (ability for air to flow through). They found that the suits that allowed no air to pass through caused skiers to accelerate in crashes when the suits were in contact with the snow. Now, even the braces they wear under their suits have to be porous and pass inspections in order to be used in races. The suits actually get a small tag attached to prove that it passed tech spec.