I have just shy of 1000 hours in my TR182... what the OP describes is what I'd call a soft-field technique. On a normal runway I use 10 degrees of flap but just apply light back pressure to 55 knots or so, then a tad more pressure lifts things nicely without feeling like a rocket launch. I suppose you could call that "rotation" but it's not like an A380, it leaves the ground practically immediately.
I really don't think you can damage the nose gear on a takeoff roll (unless you hit something or there's a hole). The way you bend the nosegear and the firewall is in a badly bounced landing.
Personally I don't like the idea of holding the nosewheel way off the runway in a normal takeoff. It seems to me there is a lot more that can go wrong, especially with an inexperienced or low-time-in-type pilot.
For sure the 182 is all about trim. It's a delight to fly, and land, if you are ALWAYS in trim - including on short final. I imagine it would be a monster to fly if you didn't do this, though I've never tried (why would I?). Unlike say the Pitts where unless it's massively out of trim you barely even notice.
The POH says to use anything from 0-20 degrees of flap for a normal takeoff, though then it says rotate at 55 which is a bit early with no flap imo. When I practice no-flap takeoffs I find that it picks up nicely at around 60.