Sure, a lot of parkour is "frivolous" and "flashy", but so are most startups. For the serious traceurs and entrepreneurs though, finding a shorter path can be the difference between being a success and an also ran.
In short, do what it takes to get to where you need to be, obstacles be damned.
It's not just semantics; "real" parkour and free running are very different approaches to interfacing with the urban environment. This article clearly refers to literal parkour, not free running— a little confusing since the embedded video has a lot of flashy stuff going on that "real" traceurs wouldn't put up with.
If you want a better example of "real" parkour, think of the opening scene of Casino Royale. That guy (Sebastien Foucan, one of the "founders" of Le Parkour) was running away from a professional killer, he didn't have any time to stop and do a handstand. And yet the entire time that Bond is crashing through walls trying to keep up, Foucan is moving with speed, grace and elegance.