"i hate kids who follow trends, now someone point me in the direction of the nearest store that sells dickies, vans, and flannels under one roof so I can get my SLAP-approved skateboard uniform"
zoltan, i get what you're saying but I don't think this is anything new. Companies all have an image they're trying to push so it makes sense when they pick up riders that fit that image. Every company does it.
it's certainly fair to say that it's lame and superficial because that fairly describes the skate industry, which (for the millionth time) doesn't matter nearly as much as the industry wants you to think it does.