nice review. not exactly the tool for the day given the snow conditions. bottom line there. when the conditions are right, just slay down a couple of those linked elbow turns and you'll get it. (even though the elbows are cheating). compare softies to running gates and you'll get it too (there's a can of worms).
i never wanted to succumb to stepping into hardboots. why? been on softies since 86-87ish. i'm not a skier. that'll be the day i'm almost too old to really snowboard. then i tried it. a couple years later, it's safe to say that i had a snowboarding problem that got exponentially worse. initially, i had some very similar thoughts as above, but needed more, then more, then more and still more. just learning while doing. dialing gear is key too. there's definitely some technical tuning, adjusting, making right for you, etc. it's can be a pain the neck sometimes, but worth it for the downhill ride. then there's the technique... it feels soooo good until you see yourself on a video or picture. Alpine opened the door to plenty more in snowboarding for the rest of my life. who'm i kidding? alpine is life.