The other thing while I think about it is AH and some companies are more of a tight knit group of mates, than a skateboard team spread out across the country, or globe.
I know they live in different places, but many do seem to be around the same general (bay) area a fair bit or not too far to drive, I guess the exception being BA in NY, Grant in ATL or the other international dudes don't often get together that often.
Seeing that they all have input into who gets on the team is another interesting thing now, which might not have been quite that well formed a while back when it was more just Julian, John and Frank (and the others on the early team), with Pete and then very young TNT and then it sort of formed a bit more from those guys as the lifers.
Others like AA being the only dude to voluntarily leave in the current era is another interesting point, even though I liked what he put out a lot more back then, he grew and changed and is in a better place now than before, whether or not that "Point Break" body board rider graphic of his was a tell of the future, or just coincidence...