Ryusei Yamada, Medalist at Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Awarded Niigata Prefectural Citizen's Honor Award: "Gave Dreams, Hope, and Inspiration to the Citizens"

On April 2, 2026, Niigata Prefecture announced that Ryusei Yamada, a first-year student in the Board Sports Business and University Department at the International Snowboard & Skateboard College (JWSC, located in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture), part of the NSG Group, who won a bronze medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, would be awarded the Prefectural Citizen's Honor Award.

【Comment from Niigata Governor Hanazumi】

"Mr. Yamada's splendid performance and competition gave dreams, hope, and inspiration to the citizens. He also greatly contributed to fostering a sense of pride in our hometown, so we have decided to present him with the Prefectural Citizen's Honor Award."

Yamada performing a high air

Captivating the World with Originality and Height

Yamada, who qualified for the Milan-Cortina Olympics finals in 3rd place, showcased an overwhelming riding style with great height from the first run of the final. He perfectly executed an original routine, scoring a high 92.00 points.

In today's competitive scene, where high-rotation tricks are mainstream, Yamada's riding, which emphasizes originality and style, received high praise from judges and spectators worldwide. He achieved the remarkable feat of two Japanese athletes, including gold medalist Yuto Totsuka, standing on the podium.

Yamada has steadily improved his skills within the multifaceted training environment provided by our school. In addition to specialized training, he has honed his aerial awareness through trampolining and skateboarding, and strengthened his physique, all while balancing academics and competition at a high level, preparing himself to soar to the world stage.

His consistent performance since last season and his uniquely perfected style have attracted significant attention both domestically and internationally, and this medal win marks a major milestone, the culmination of his efforts.

Profile

Name: Ryusei Yamada

Hometown: Sapporo City, Hokkaido

School: International Snowboard & Skateboard College

Department: Snowboard Department Top Athlete Course, 2nd year

Affiliation: JWSC Vocational School

Event: Snowboard Halfpipe (SB-HP)

Results: December 2023 World Cup 2nd event SB-HP 5th place

February 2024 Youth Olympics SB-HP 3rd place

December 2024 World Cup 1st event SB-HP 3rd place

February 2025 World Cup 4th event SB-HP 3rd place

December 2025 The Snow League 2nd event 3rd place

December 2025 World Cup 1st event SB-HP 5th place

December 2025 World Cup 2nd event SB-HP 1st place

February 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics SB-HP 3rd place

February 2026 The Snow League 3rd event 1st place

March 2026 The Snow League 4th event 1st place

2026 The Snow League Overall Annual Ranking 2nd place

We kindly ask for your continued warm support for Ryusei Yamada.

About JWSC International Snowboard & Skateboard College

JWSC International Snowboard & Skateboard College opened in 1999 and has since produced 5 Winter Olympians and 60 JSBA certified professional snowboarders. We provide specialized education by experienced instructors in an optimal environment and facilities for learning board sports.

For snowboarding, the curriculum centers around 6 months of on-snow training annually. For skateboarding, the JWSC Skateboarding Lab is fully equipped with street and park sections, providing an environment where students can concentrate on competition. The majority of students enrolled in our school wish to start from scratch and work hard after enrolling. At our school, students can build a foundation to work as professionals while still enrolled, aiming to become professionals and secure employment in the industry. We will continue our educational activities to provide practical knowledge to produce Olympic athletes, professional athletes, and human resources who can immediately contribute to the board sports industry.

Department Introduction

・【New】Board Sports Creative Design Department (3-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_boardsports_creativedesign

・Skateboard Department Top Athlete Course (2-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_skateboard_athlete

・Skateboard Department Skateboard Business Course (2-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_skateboard_business

・Snowboard Department Top Athlete Course (2-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_snowboard_athlete

・Snowboard Department Snowboard Business Course (2-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_snowboard_business

・Board Sports Advanced Course (1-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_action

・Board Sports Business & University Department (2-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_university

・【New】Sports & Information University Department (4-year program) https://jwsc-snow.com/course_sports_information

＜Past Initiatives of JWSC International Snowboard & Skateboard College＞

4 students and 1 graduate selected as official PR users for JACKFROST snowboard wear for the 2025-26 season

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13758

JWSC current student obtains professional snowboarder qualification! The school's 60th professional snowboarder is born!

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13535

Collaborating with Burton Japan to pioneer snowboard industry product development from a Gen Z perspective

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13550

Bench utilizing snowboards from top athletes, created with student involvement, to be exhibited at EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13435

Snowboard Department's Ryusei Yamada makes a strong appeal to the world with a solid 3rd place finish at The Snow League 2nd event!

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13875

Current students and graduates challenge the world's highest stage for a ticket to the Milan Olympics

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13863 ■ Current students and graduates shine on the world stage! Victory and runner-up at the Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe 2nd event

https://jwsc-snow.com/blog/archives/13908

＜International Snowboard & Skateboard College＞

Official School Website https://jwsc-snow.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jwsc_staff/

Location: 76 Haradori, Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture

＜About NSG Group＞

The NSG Group is a corporate group consisting of 101 corporations, with education business and medical/welfare/nursing care business at its core, and also developing a wide range of businesses including health/sports, construction/real estate, food/agriculture, trading company, advertising agency, ICT, hotels, apparel, beauty, human resources services, and entertainment. We aim to make each region the "richest and happiest town in the world" and are committed to creating businesses that revitalize local communities from a private sector perspective, with "people," "safety," "work," and "attractiveness" as keywords.

＜NSG Group Website＞ https://www.nsg.gr.jp/