This does mean creating a copy, removing the Code Smell rules, and needing to regularly compare with the built-in profile to keep up-to-date.
You could also consider extending the Quality Profile and setting all Code Smells to INFO severity.
We really consider that we add value on top of existing ESLint rules (and we support importing ESLint reports as well).
You might also be interested in commenting/voting on this feature request:
https://community.sonarsource.com/t/deactivate-on-extended-profiles/54878