About Foil Drive
WHERE IT STARTED
Foil Drive began as a personal project for our CEO and chief designer, Paul Martin. Facing a shoulder injury and a limited window for catching waves, Paul wanted to access more waves from farther out, where most remained unridden. With a rich background that includes founding Australia's first commercial drone operation and over 20 years of experience designing RC aircraft, electric skateboards, scooters, and mountain bikes, Paul’s passion naturally extended to jetboards and electric surfboards.
His initial electric foils were powerful but too heavy for surfing. This challenge sparked the idea for a super-lightweight retrofit motor kit designed to provide just enough boost to get on the foil while keeping weight low and performance high.
Ben Jamieson, our co-founder, has known Paul for over a decade. They met through their shared interest in RC aircraft and later collaborated in the drone industry. Their mutual love for outdoor sports quickly evolved into a shared enthusiasm for foiling with this retro-fit motor front and centre.
The local crew soon all wanted to get their hands on this new invention, that's when Paul and Ben decided there was something to explore.
The concept of "Hybrid Foiling" was officially launched to the world in 2021. It quickly spread and very soon riders from all over the world were asking how they could join in on the fun with this new toy we've all come to know as the "Foil Assist".
In 2023 Foil Drive began exploring how to better the experience for those Foildriving on the other side of the world, enter in Foil Drive Europe!
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THE PASSION
At Foil Drive, our passion drives everything we do. We're dedicated to delivering top-quality, high-performance gear with a focus on refined engineering and development.
We dive deep into the technical side of things to ensure we create the best products possible. Our goal is to enhance the pure, exhilarating experience of foiling while pushing the limits of innovation.
We’re committed to crafting equipment that not only performs at its best but also celebrates the feeling of foiling we all long for. We are stoked to have you along for the ride, growing and exploring new opportunities.
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THE TEAM
Foil Drive now have two main Headquarters and Team Members all around the world! Foil Drive HQ is based in Adelaide, Australia, where you'll find most of our crew! Foil Drive Europe being our second headquarters, based in The Netherlands! Read more about our crew and our Headquarters below!
About Foil Drive Europe
The Team in Europe is supported by our Global family at Foil Drive and we're stoked to be able to offer support, services and advice, on the ground in Europe! Read more abut them and their experiences below or reach out to them with nay questions you may have! We're also looking forward to joining you at events all over Europe to spread the experience of Foildriving!
Dom Hoskyns
Rewind back to 2021, the original Foil Assist had just launch and customer #1 was Dominic Hoskyns, all the way on the other side of the world!
Living in the Middle East at the time he used it to fuel his foil addiction in the lightest wind and smallest swell, until every day became a Foil Drive day
regardless of the conditions! Dom became well known for sharing his experiences on YouTube and Instagram, regularly posting technique tutorials to help others to get the best from their Foil Drives. It was inevitable that someone so obsessed with Foil-Driving would become good friends with the Foil Drive team, so much so that they offered him a trip to Australia, and a job. Dom now heads the team at Foil Drive Europe in The Netherlands where he continues to spread the word about Foil Drive.
Jan Paul Olijslager
Jan Paul grew up in the Netherlands but has lived and worked in over 10 different countries, which makes him the most travelled member of
the team. His broad international business career means he brings a wealth of experience to Foil Drive Europe in his role of operations manager.
Jan Paul is no stranger to water sports - he is a very experienced competitive
sailor and also enjoys diving, rowing and surfski. Although he is just starting his foiling journey, what he lacks in experience he more than makes up for in determination. Just like the rest of us, Jan Paul is now a Foil Drive addict!
Andrea Di Paolo
Andrea was one of the first people foiling in Italy. Always willing to help new foilers by sharing his experiences and offering advice, he quickly gained a reputation as a respected figure within the Italian foiling community.
Andrea was an early adopter of Foil Drive, and dedicated a lot of his time to share how Foil Drive has helped to improve his foiling skills. We instantly recognised a kindred spirit in Andrea, and were delighted to have him join our ambassador program. Andrea’s passion, enthusiasm, and tireless support for Foil Drive meant that it was only a matter of time before we offered him a full time role with Foil Drive Europe. We are delighted to have him as part of the team.
The Foil Drive Family
We know you'll read this on every brand page but we mean it when we say we have the best team. The crew here at Foil Drive are family, every single person is incredibly dedicated, passionate and hard working all to keep people in the water! While you get the pleasure of meeting some of us in person or online, Foil Drive simply wouldn't exist without the whole family.
Our family proudly extends to our dealers, our Ambassadors and the Foil Drive community. If you've not followed our ambassadors our joined the Facebook Groups we highly recommend!
Paul Martin
Who: CEO, Lead Product Designer and Co-Founder
Where: Australia
Ben Jamieson
Who: Lead Operations and Co-Founder
Where: Australia
Dominic Hoskyns
Who: Foil Drive Europe Director
Where: The Netherlands
Caitlyn Francis
Who: Brand Manager and Graphic Designer
Where: Australia
Travis Murphy
Who: Global Sales Manager
Where: Australia
Eleri kirkwood
Who: Global Business Manager
Where: Australia