I don't get the picture of the two girls?

You really don't sound like you know what you are doing if you're skidding all over the place. That's proof your doing it just to do it. Riding with a backpedaling and skipping technique is what should be done most if you're going to ride brakeless. I'm not going to say you're dumb for riding brakeless because I've done it before as well, but I found running brakes to be much easier. Is it a vanity thing for some...yes, but not everyone does it for that reason of looking cool (that's why I'll say some). You could have the same Zen feeling of riding your bike with a brake, all you have to do is not grab it and you would have simulated the same "brakeless" ride