Dorien Llewellyn "Feels good to be back"

Injury Update: Dorien Llewellyn Makes Return to Practice, Looks Sharp on His Slalom Ski

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Injury update: Dorien Llewellyn makes return to practice, looks sharp on his slalom ski

Feels good to be back (image: @dorienllewellyn)

By Jack Burden


Dorien Llewellyn made his return to training at Sunset Lakes over the weekend as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury that sidelined him since June of this year.

A twisted ankle during a jump crash at the LA Night Jam on June 10 left Llewellyn with two torn ligaments and bone fragments in his right foot. This injury forced him to miss the entire 2023 WWS Overall Tour and all subsequent jump events on the Waterski Pro Tour.

Instead of competing, Llewellyn spent the summer undergoing intensive rehab at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in Austria. Unfortunately, this injury was part of a series of setbacks he faced this year, which also caused him to miss the U.S. Masters earlier in the season.

Llewellyn, the current world trick champion and former world overall record holder, plays a crucial role on Team Canada’s squad for the upcoming World Championships, where they aim to secure their third consecutive team title. With only six skiers on the squad, having at least two world-class overall skiers is essential to ensure depth in all three events. Canada’s success over the past three decades has been built on skiers like the Llewellyns (Kreg, Jaret, and later Dorien) and the McClintocks (Judy and Whitney), who have excelled across all three events.

In contrast, the U.S. has faced challenges in the team competition despite having some of the most dominant specialists in the sport, including Freddy Krueger, Nate Smith, Anna Gay, and Erika Lang. While they have an all time great in Regina Jaquess on the women’s side, the U.S. has not claimed a medal in men’s overall since Jimmy Siemers won his last world title in 2005.

Canada received encouraging signs as Llewellyn tackled the slalom course at close to 100 percent in training just four weeks before the World Championships. To defend their title, they will rely on him returning to near-full fitness by the start of the event.

Ankle Woes Pause Waterski Pro Cole McCormick's Season

Injury Update: Ankle Woes Pause Rising Star Cole McCormick’s Season

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Injury update: Ankle woes pause rising star Cole McCormick’s season

Ankle Woes Pause Waterski Pro Cole McCormick's Season

Image: @johnnyofdeepcove

By Jack Burden


Canadian slalom skier Cole McCormick, among the top-10 finishers in the first two seasons of the Waterski Pro Tour, finds himself on the sidelines this spring due to a bone bruise on the top of his talus bone in his right ankle joint – his back foot for slalom. The injury has compelled him to take a hiatus from skiing for approximately seven weeks to facilitate the healing process.

Expressing his frustration with the situation, McCormick shared, “Injuries suck. Not skiing for almost 7 weeks during one of the busiest parts of the ski season sucks. Watching the Masters qualifiers from shore, thinking to myself ‘I should be there’ or ‘I could have done that’ sucks. Missing out on the Masters this year stings a little extra.”

McCormick, who grew up idolizing waterski legends and now competes against some of them, highlighted the emotional weight of not being able to contribute to the inspiration of aspiring skiers this year. Reflecting on the missed opportunity to compete against the world’s best, he noted, “I grew up watching waterski legends and even some of the very friends I now ski against set records and win titles in some of the most challenging conditions. They would always inspire me at the beginning of my ski season and give me something to strive towards as a Junior coming up the ranks. So not being able to be a part of someone else’s inspiration this year and missing out on competing against the best in the world definitely feels pretty bad…”

Despite the setback, McCormick remains optimistic and determined, stating, “BUT I can promise… I WILL BE BACK! One positive of this whole experience: it’s made me beyond motivated to come back stronger and better than before…” The setback may be a temporary pause, but McCormick’s resolve to return stronger indicates that his journey in the world of professional water skiing is far from over.