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I have a F2 Eliminator for free riding and boardercross. I have only rode it with soft boots and it was completely fine. I could still turn the board and ride well. However, I did crush the boots when I would turn. Especially on toe sides. I added a tongue stiffener which did help a little bit until I got used to it again. You could put hard boots on it if you are just starting out on hard boots and then transition to an alpine board after you get used to it. Hope this helps.

This board is made for bigger radius turns that can be found in a giant slalom race course. From experience, I have found that transitioning from a more slalom appropriate board to a giant slalom board can be difficult. But it should only take a day or two to get used to it if you are comfortable on your other board. Also, since it is longer, you are going to have to make sure to stay balanced. If you get into the backseat, the board can slide out from underneath you. If you are too far front, then you can also slide out or just simply over-pressure the nose. You will also need to put a lot more energy into the turn to actually carve compared to a slalom board. But, if you don't use that same amount of energy to get out of your turn, then you might find yourself in the trees. Hope this helps.

I have found that being a little 'bow-legged' can give you more stability to heel sides. Also, you want to realign your knees when you come out of the turn to get more power out of the turn.

Feedback for your hips. I race slalom and gs and I have found that the best way to have your hips is aligned with the angles of your legs. This will allow you to drop your hips easier on heel sides and drop your knees on your toe sides.