‘Ride Natty Ride’ Explores Bob Marley’s Influence on Surfing, Skateboarding

Bob Marley’s musical influence on surfing and skateboarding is documented in Ride Natty Ride, the sixth addition to Legacy, the 12-part documentary series honoring the late reggae legend.

Clocking in at 30 minutes, the video features Jamaicans discussing how they started surfing and Marley’s musical ties to the pastime. Billy “Mystic” Wilmot — owner of the Jamnesia Surf Camp in Bull Bay Jamaica — explains how he came to surfing in the Sixties. “It was never us trying to be like, what surfing was,” he recalls. “Because we didn’t know what surfing was.”

Interviews with Shama “Superman” Beckford, Ivah Wilmot, skateboarders Froggboss WellRaggedy and Kaya Wheeler, and Marley’s friend, Neville Garrick, also appear.

Legacy is part of Marley75, a year-long celebration to mark what would have been the reggae legend’s 75th birthday. “Ride Natty Ride” follows Punky Reggae Party, Rhythm of the Game — which examined his passion for soccer — Righteousness and Women Rising. The series kicked off in February with an explainer that discussed Marley’s impact and influence.

In October, Rizzoli will release Bob Marley: Portrait of a Legend, which contains more than 150 photographs of the musician. The book was authorized by the Marley family and curated by his son, Ziggy.

“There is a cliché term, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ Ziggy said in a statement. “From my experience of looking through hundreds and hundreds of photos for this book, I will say, yes, it is true.”