After a winter of discontent, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the junior world titles to be postponed for 12 months, it's good to be back on the water.

"I've been skiing a little bit, as much as we can around Dad working," Ashcroft said.

"Bruce Cockburn came down for a few days and helped coach me. He's just helping me refine everything. He's the coach of the junior world team.

"It was good. He's good. A very good coach. We were just working on getting everything back up to standard for competition, working on my trick and jump mostly."

Newcastle-based Cockburn is a legend of Australian waterskiing and will lead the newest generation of Australian stars, including Ashcroft, to Florida's Santa Rosa Beach.

Ashcroft will also go as a Southern Sports Academy athlete, having been named as one of the organisation's individual scholarship recipients for 2021. He's one of two waterskiers in the individual athlete program, along with Deniliquin's Erica Hayes.

"That's been really good, helping out with some gear and everything. It helps make the sport a bit easier," Ashcroft said.

The academy helps individual athletes meet the costs associated with competing at higher levels as well as offering support

Ashcroft has been waterskiing for as long as he can remember. The Wagga High School student loves the family aspect of the sport, as something they can all be actively involved in together. His strength in three-event waterskiing is his consistency and versatility.

"I'll compete in each discipline which is slalom, jump and tricks. Overall is usually my best. I'm not outstanding in one but I seem to be decent in all three. There's a few skiers who are really good around my age who mostly compete in one or two events," Ashcroft said.