The 21-year-old returned to her parents' Port Stephens home over Christmas after nearly nine months living in Orlando, Florida, and resumed training at Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre this week to prepare for a challenging 2009 season.

Nowlan rocketed to attention in big-time waterskiing when she equalled the world women's slalom record of one buoy on the very short 10.25-metre line during the US Pro Tour at Diablo Shores in September.

American Kristi Overton-Johnson set the record in 1996.

The performance also gave Nowlan her fourth win of the US Pro Tour in five events, handing her the crown of women's slalom champion.

In response to the win her ranking in the World Waterskiing Federation elite slalom women rose from 16 in January 2008 to end the year at No.1.

"I really didn't expect to do that in one year; that's a big thing," Nowlan said.

"I have a different technique to a lot of the other girls so people were shocked and there was a lot of talk in the waterski world, that's for sure."

Nowlan's technique resembles snow skiing, with the aim to keep the routine simple to gain high efficiency.

Nowlan began waterskiing at eight and won the world junior jumping championship at 17 by landing a world and Australian under-17 record of 45.3 metres.

In 2007 she won a bronze medal at the world championships in Linz, Austria, and the next world titles are set for August in Calgary, Canada. But first she will return to the Moomba Masters on the Yarra River in Melbourne in March the scene of the lowest point of her career.

"In 2007 I jumped at Moomba and crashed and ended up on [TV show] Medical Emergency," she said.

"I don't really jump any more. I've had a few too many injuries and I've just focused on the slalom and trying to make a career out of that."

Nowlan broke several ribs and tore her ear in the fall. She has also suffered a dislocated hip while waterskiing in the US.

Once the Moomba Masters is complete Nowlan will return to America to challenge for the US Masters in Georgia, which she describes as "the Wimbledon of waterskiing".

"It's probably the most prestigious event in the world. It's invitation only and they take the seven top women and the world champion at that point," she said.

Nowlan was the surprise packet of last year's US Masters when she finished fourth as a wildcard.

She expected an even tougher 2009 because she is now a target.

"It's going to be a little bit harder now I've got that pressure," she said.

"There's so many young girls coming up and so much competition pushing the field and making women's slalom really hard."