The day i was on the eps in alaska I also rode my friend's chopsticks and vastly preferred the EPs. the chopsticks just seemed heavy and clunky in comparison. definitely a great ski, but not for my weight or style. I ride hard, and yeah, i would get bucked around a bit, but i never thought i was going out of control in any way that was worrisome. It was pretty gloppy towards the end of the day, for sure, and they arent crud busters by any stretch of the imagination but for how soft and forgiving they are, the EPs were surprisingly functional in crud. now, i am not a big guy, so that may have something to do with it as well, but for how hard I ride, the way I ski, and how heavy I am, EPs are just about the perfect ski. as with any ski you're going to give up performance in some area in order to gain performance in another; it is all about how those gains and losses balance out and how, you, the rider, choose which shortcomings you are willing to deal with in exchange for the positives of the ski.