By Matthew Becerra

Marquint Brooks didn’t come up skating perfect ledges under city lights — he came up on dirt roads in Georgia, where building a makeshift was the only way to chase a dream. Now, after years of self-made grit, connections, and one life-changing Twitter video, he’s part of FTP’s skate team and riding with the legends who once inspired him from a TV screen

"No skate parks, no sidewalks," he said. "You walking on the street with the dirt, man."

So, like a lot of kids with nothing but time and a dream, he built his own, "The first ledge I ever skated was like four or six cinder blocks,” he said “I put a real garden rail on the side We glued it down."

Skating came to him through his older brother. "My brother met this homie in school, his name was Kentucky. They started skating for like two weeks, and I was like, 'Damn, I ain’t doing shit.' I was hooping, but I picked up a board and started skating with them. I was trash, but I stuck through it and got a little better."

He had to put skating down for a bit during high school, where he ran track and cross country. But after one year of college, broke and looking for direction, he picked the board back up.

"Literally after a year of college, I was like, 'Damn, I need some money.' And I just picked up skating again."

Atlanta’s skate scene had its challenges. While the culture was strong, opportunities were limited and often depended on personal connections. Brooks usually skated alone during the week and would meet random crews by chance.

Getting noticed relied heavily on word of mouth, and with only a handful of skate shops, access to support and resources was scarce.

By 2018 or 2019, Marquint began to see real progress in his skating. His tricks were getting cleaner, his confidence was rising, and by the end of 2019 into 2020, he realized he had the potential to pursue skating on a serious level. Being around more experienced skaters pushed him to elevate his mindset.

He fully committed, dedicating himself to daily progress and embracing the grind that came with trying to make it.

That same year marked a turning point when he landed his first sponsor through a local Atlanta brand named Mans Best Friend. A chance introduction through a friend at a party led to a conversation with the brand’s founder, who took immediate interest in what Brooks was doing.

“He gave me so much knowledge, wisdom of even just being in the skate world,” Brooks said.

From that point on, MBF became a key supporter—hooking him up with boards, clothes, and money, and making sure he had what he needed to stay motivated, every time something new dropped, Brooks was first to get something

Things all changed for Brooks when FTP—a streetwear brand that rose to prominence in the 2010s for its rebellious attitude and underground appeal—put out a call for new skaters in mid-2021. He was ready. "I saw FTP put out something on IG looking for skaters."

I knew their emails were gonna be flooded, so I waited. Made a video in like a week, maybe less, posted it on Twitter. Zac retweeted it and hit me up like, 'Yo, what’s your address?' Sent me three boards and I never looked back."

He then went on to meet Chris Drysen who helped him get properly plugged in with FTP. "He asked me, 'Who you skate for?' I told him I didn’t know how to get in touch with the person. He looked at me like, 'Bro...' Went to the IG, showed me, I hit them up and sent the same video that Zac liked. The dude sent me his number an hour later. We linked two or three days after that. It was up from there."

At the time, Brooks had just moved to California after a string of life-altering events. His house burned down, and he tried his luck in New Orleans. So he came to California, and in Long Beach, he met Christian Yoo who really looked out for him, “He showed me everything. All the spots. Everybody I know now in skating, it’s through him. He’s a big blessing, man."

That all led to “American Terrorist”, FTP’s first full-length skate video. Brooks had a part alongside one of his biggest inspirations, Antwuan Dixon. "First video I ever watched was Baker 3 on, We watched Antwuan’s part over and over. So to meet him and skate with him? It all lined up. He was exactly who I thought he’d be. Genuine. Cool. Pushes you to go harder at the spot."

Now, Brooks and the team are working on another video. No official date yet, but he’s all in. "I just came off an injury like three weeks ago, so I’m back in the field. Locked in. Going hard. This part’s gonna be better than the last. Got more tricks. Been more places. I just want to show that."

For him, FTP is more than a brand. It’s family. "It’s not a one-man team. We all put in the same work. We got FTP on our hearts, on our chests, in our spirit. It’s the biggest blessing. More blessings to come."

Image Courtesy of Brook’s Instagram @WhatUpGQ

Skating saved Brooks and he’s grateful. "I don’t care about skate politics. I love the community. Any pro I see, I show love. I tell them they’re fire.”

"I’m proud to be here. I’m glad I’m with FTP. Everything is a blessing. And I appreciate it all."

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