Great thread!
Reggae and skating were a big part of my formative years, having got into both at pretty much the same time. For a long time I really wanted to be this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O718bjrZwA4I was wondering what had happened to him and I found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TarmEN4XDYMade me think that a part of me still wants to be him!

I haven't skated for quite a few years now, but it's still in the back of my mind whenever I see a nice, shiny curb or a marble bench. We didn't have too many of those in South Africa when I was growing up, but I live in the US now and it's just how I always imagined it would be from the videos. I'll be 40 soon (gulp!), but I'm still tempted to get a board again, even if it's just to cruise around on. That Johnny Clarke deck might just tip me over the edge!
At the risk of sending this too off-topic for the moderator, here's and interesting skating-related story from my home country:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGL5XzSRSvsAlastair