Meet the Hive: the team behind FoilHive
FoilHive is run by a small team of foilers in Tarifa and Belgium. We built this because the existing options for getting into foiling, buying outright or renting from a school, weren't working for us either. Same problem you have. So we made a different one.
Here's who we are. If you're considering a subscription, you should know who's behind it.
Founders
FoilHive is a three-person team. We set the VZW up in March 2026 and have run it since.
Sam Carentz
Role: Workshop and repairs, Tarifa. Co-founder.
Based in: Tarifa, Spain.
Rides: Kite, windsurf, Foils.
Sam developed Onix Foils, our sister brand. He's a foil designer, engineer and deeply involved in the sustainability of watersports. He's also a designer for North Foils, an international brand in the foiling market.
He runs the workshop. Every wing built, inspected, or repaired goes through him. The reason FoilHive exists as a non-profit instead of another gear brand is that the sustainability and local-production thinking come from Sam. A short documentary about Sam and the Tarifa workshop is on YouTube.
James Frei
Role: Co-founder. Platform, and one of the filmmakers on the team.
Based in: Spain.
Rides: Kitesurfer.
Extreme sports, technology, and storytelling are the three threads running through everything James does. He filmed the documentary about Sam at the ONIX workshop, which is how the two of them started working together, and builds the software FoilHive runs on.
Nicolas Decuypere
Role: Co-founder. Belgian entity and governance.
Based in: Belgium.
Rides: Foils and Windsurf.
Nicolas is a life long waterman and runs the non-profit governance and growth. The reason FoilHive has a real annual meeting where members vote on next season's strategy is because Nicolas built it that way.
Sister brand and supported causes
ONIX Foils, our sister brand. Same team, same Tarifa workshop, separate legal entity. ONIX designs and builds the gear; FoilHive runs the subscription that puts it in riders' hands. A wing breaks on a Saturday in Tarifa and is back in the fleet by the next Tuesday because the people who built it are the people who repair it. onix-foils.com.
The Ocean Cleanup, our supported cause. Hive Credits redeemed by members can be converted into donations to The Ocean Cleanup. theoceancleanup.com.
Where to find us
Workshop: Tarifa, Cádiz, Spain. Every wing, mast, and fuselage in the fleet is built, inspected, and repaired here by our sister brand ONIX Foils.
Registered office: Bolwerkstraat 21, 1800 Vilvoorde, Belgium. Company registration: VZW 1035.828.653 (Belgian KBO-BCE).
Email: hello@foilhive.com. We answer within a day.
Instagram: @foilhive
Why a non-profit?
Same answer we give in every conversation: foiling is too exclusive and too much gear ends up unused or in landfills. The non-profit structure lets us reinvest every euro back into the fleet, the community and ultimately reducing stress on our environment. There's no investor pressure to grow fast or extract margin.
We're also small and honest about it. The core team is three people. The fleet holds enough component variety for swapping. The community will set the strategy at our annual meeting in December. If you want to read the financial details, our most recent transparency summary is available on request, just email us.
Want to join the Hive?
If you're a rider, a coach, a workshop tech, or someone who wants to volunteer in the community, we'd like to hear from you. hello@foilhive.com. Tell us what you ride and what you'd want to contribute.