Grind collision is going to produce tons of new possibilities in terms of animations and trick combos. Its going to be insane; especially considering the new posture element.

as for thoughts on hardcore mode;
In anticipation of s3, I played OG the other day for nostalgic purposes,..and everything seemed slightly more difficult; getting the right flip trick or grind took more concentration, pop out of grinds was much lower, I didnt find myself getting sucked into ledges and rails, etc.
Im hoping s3's hardcore mode has a similar feel. It would really bring the attention of the gameplay back to basics and new styles would develop.

hardcore mode could give us more control over the skaters momentum because of the reduced grind spline suction--no more inability to do a trick because the game sends you at a nearby ledge. Granted, it will make certain things more difficult, like hitting a handrail perfectly, but at the same time you can hit it exactly where you want to, with patience and concentration--something that really doesnt happen all that well, or very frequently in s2.

I personally cant wait to play the game in hardcore mode. I really want to be able to fake-skate without fighting the game's tendency to help me during certain situations. Not to mention that damn 'auto-pump'.