On Saturday, April 22nd, our sport sadly lost a true super star.

Willa Worthington McGuire Cook, better known to her friends as Willa Cook, passed away at the age of 89 following an extraordinary career on the water which dates back to 1942.

A three-time World Overall Waterski Champion, originally from Lake Oswego in Oregon, USA, she is recognised as the greatest female Show Skier of all time.

She represented the USA at four World Waterski Championships in Juan Les Pins, France 1949, Cypress Gardens USA 1950, Toronto Canada 1953 and Beirut, Lebanon 1955.

Her Show Ski career really took off in 1947 and in 1948, Pioneer Dick Pope invited her to join the famous Cypress Gardens Show.

For the following 10 years, she was regarded as the star of the show.

“Designing Show costumes, innovating new Show tricks, directing choreography and films, performing on TV and in Movies, all came naturally to Willa”

She has made an extraordinary contribution to our sport and will be sadly missed by her many friends and fans around the world.

May she rest in peace.