personally, im a lot less concerned with it being its own sport as many people here are. skiing and snowboarding are the same damn thing, its just dependent on whether your comfortable sideways, or forwards.
supporting smaller companies is a good thing to do if it makes you feel better, but this is not punk rock, and there is no way of getting around the fact that its a business world out there and each of these "core" companies is out to make money.
i guess the long and the short of my little shpeal here is to ride what you want, wear what you want, and to not concern yourself with the business end of everything. Its still and allways will be the greatest experiences of your life to be out on a hill, rippin in the snow or sliding some metal down some stairs.
lose sight of that and you;ve lost yourself.