One Board at a Time: Mohammad Zakaria – Jordan’s skateboarding pioneer

Mohammad Zakaria is one of the pioneers of Jordan’s skate scene and a veteran of the pan-Arab skateboarding scene. A Palestinian-Jordanian who basically adheres to the Field of Dreams school of thought – “If you build it, they will come” – Zakaria co-founded Philadelphia Skateboards in 2009 on a shoestring budget and the hope that if you imported the best boards and the best hardware in the world, quality would distinguish you from all others that followed. It’s a formula that has worked – with Philadelphia being recognised as the gold standard for boards manufactured in the Middle East that in turn has helped grow a roster of talented skaters both in the Arab world and in the West who call themselves part of Team Philly. This piece was originally published in September 2013.