Ryder Rousseau: A Standout 2026 European Season

From the UK to France, Switzerland and Italy, Ryder Rousseau’s 2026 European season was packed with racing, new experiences and some impressive results.

Competing across national and international events, Ryder took multiple overall wins in the UKWA Series, stood on the podium at the Youth World Championships and proved the versatility of his ENSIS setup by taking race wins against dedicated race equipment.

But beyond the results, the season was about gaining experience, pushing his limits and representing ENSIS across Europe.

Photo courtesy of EngadinWind & SailingEnergy.

A Strong Start in the UK

Ryder competed in the full UKWA Series, delivering a consistent run of results throughout the season.

• 🥇 Stokes Bay – 1st Overall

• 🥇 Lee-on-Solent – 1st Overall

• 🥇 Rutland – 1st Overall

• 🥈 Scottish Fin & Foil Championship – 2nd Overall, 🥇1st U17 and 🥇1st U19

Across the UKWA events, Ryder took overall victories at Stokes Bay, Lee-on-Solent and Rutland. In the Scottish Fin & Foil Championship, he finished 2nd Overall while taking Gold in both the U17 and U19 categories.

The Scotland competition also counted towards the UKWA Series standings, adding valuable points to Ryder’s overall campaign.

It was a strong foundation for what would become a much bigger European season.

Racing Against the World at Défi Wind

Next came one of the season’s biggest challenges: Défi Wind in France.

With a fleet of around 750 riders, the event offered a completely different racing experience. Ryder finished 124th overall, gaining valuable experience on long-distance courses and racing alongside riders of all ages and from around the world.

Racing in such a huge fleet and over long-distance courses was completely different from normal racing and gave me a lot of experience competing against riders of all ages from around the world”.

For a young rider building experience at international level, it was an opportunity to test himself in one of the biggest fleets in the sport.

World Cup and a Youth World Championship Podium

Ryder then headed to Silvaplana, Switzerland, where he competed at World Cup level and took part in the Youth World Championships, where he achieved one of his best results of the season.

🥉 U15 Youth World Championship Bronze

Competing against the best young riders in the world, he secured 3rd place in the U15 category and added a World Championship medal to an already impressive European campaign.

Standing on a World Championship podium was a huge moment for me and something I had been working towards throughout the season”.

Racing Freestyle Equipment Against Race Setups

One of the most interesting moments of the season came at the HOLY MOLY League.

Rather than switching to dedicated race equipment, Ryder lined up on the setup he normally uses for freestyle:

• ENSIS TOPSPIN ACE 4.0

• ENSIS JIVE ACE

• ENSIS MANIAC INFINITY ACE 690

He was racing against riders equipped with dedicated race setups — but still managed to win more races than any other rider on the day.

For Ryder, it was a great demonstration of the versatility of ENSIS equipment: the same setup that gives him the freedom to ride freestyle can also deliver the performance needed to compete against specific race equipment.

Representing ENSIS Across Europe

The 2026 season wasn't only about competition.

Between events, Ryder had the opportunity to spend time with the ENSIS team in Silvaplana, Switzerland, and Lake Como, Italy.

Riding alongside the team, meeting other riders and helping showcase the equipment added another dimension to his European campaign.

Lake Como, in particular, created one of Ryder’s favourite memories of the season: “Riding together with Michi and showing exactly what can be done on ENSIS equipment”.

A Season to Build On

Looking back, Ryder’s 2026 European season delivered an impressive list of results:

UKWA Series
🥇 Multiple Overall event wins

Défi Wind – France
124th / ~750 competitors

Youth World Championships – Silvaplana
🥉 U15 World Championship Bronze

Scottish Fin & Foil Championship
🥇 U17
🥇 U19
🥈 Overall

HOLY MOLY League
Most race wins of the day — on ENSIS freestyle equipment against dedicated race setups.

But the season was about much more than just podiums. Ryder raced in huge international fleets, competed at World Championship level, lined up against experienced adult riders and gained valuable experience across different formats and disciplines.

I'm really proud of what we achieved this European season and I'm excited to see how far we can push things next. A massive thank you to ENSIS for the support throughout the season”.

We can't wait to see what the water has in store for Ryder.