In the early morning light of Calgary, Canada, an 18-year-old Coronado native with a poised, almost stoic expression, stepped onto the manicured green for his first singles match at the Bowls RoarFest Youth Open, an international tournament for lawn bowlers aged 25 and under.
The smooth, low hum of Icelandic jazz-pop filled his left ear, courtesy of an Apple AirPod discreetly nestled within, Laufey’s melodies offering a calm counterpoint to the palpable tension of the day.
Lawn bowling, a sport as contemplative as the music Angel Gomez favors, begins with the gentle roll of the jack — a small white ball — sent down the green to establish the target for ensuring the play. It’s a move requiring both precision and an almost philosophical patience, qualities that Gomez said he hoped to channel as he prepared to make his mark on the international stage.
At RoarFest, an event that unfolded from July 26-28 at Calgary Lawn Bowling Club, 18 athletes, all aged 18-25, represented the future of a sport often associated with more seasoned players.
Amid the predominantly Canadian field, Gomez stood out as the sole representative of the United States and the youngest participant.
Two years ago in Ireland, Gomez became the first U.S. player to compete in the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship, and in 2023, he returned to play at the Worlds in Scotland. On top of winning various local and national tournaments in the past year, Gomez and his father, Javier, won the Southwest Division Pairs Playdowns last month.
From tiebreakers to triumph
The first day at RoarFest tested Gomez as he faced three singles matches back-to-back. In the first match, he secured a decisive win against Nathaniel Hui, taking the first set 8-3 and the second 6-4. The second match was tougher, with Curtis Wartman forcing a 6-6 tie in the first set. Gomez, however, edged out a 6-5 victory in the second set.
The final match against Mason Boyd was even more challenging, as Boyd won the first set 8-4. But Gomez fought back, winning the second set 5-3 and clinching the match in the one-end tiebreaker.
The ends – the rink’s vertical boundaries – define the starting line for the lawn bowlers who roll their four bowls as close as they can to a small white ball known as the “jack.” Points are awarded at each end after all bowls have been played.
Saturday shifted the focus to pairs, where the Point Loma Nazarene University sophomore teamed up with 23-year-old Amy Spence. Playing lead, Gomez was responsible for delivering the first bowls of each end, setting the pace and aiming to place the bowls as close to the jack as possible.
Spence, as the skip, played the final bowls of each end, perfecting their strategy and making crucial shots. In pairs matches, the players competed over 10 ends, rather than the seven played in singles.
Their game began with a narrow 7-8 loss in the first match and was followed by a tight 10-9 win in the second. Their third match saw them secure an 8-6 victory, only to fall 4-12 in the fourth.
Going into Sunday’s semi-finals, Spence and Gomez were tied for third place with two other pairs teams. However, they lost their first match 5-9, leaving them tied for fifth or sixth. The day ended with another defeat, marking the end of their pairs run.
Sunday was also the finals for singles matches, where Gomez played against Hui, both vying for first place.
Javier, who’s also Gomez’s coach, likened the sport to chess, emphasizing the strategic depth where players anticipate their opponent’s next move.
“He had already been studying me throughout the games,” Gomez said, “so he was on a mission.”
Gomez started strong, winning the first set 8-3. The second set was competitive, with the score tied 4-4 as he and Hui approached the final end. Gomez knew that if Hui won this set, the match would go into a one-end tiebreaker.
Gomez said he adopted a relaxed attitude, feeling content with whatever the outcome might be.
“We were still having laughs out there on the green,” he said.
As Gomez approached his final bowl, the stakes were clear — he had to place it close to the jack to stay in control. His bowl rolled well, stopping just inches from the target, leaving Hui with a difficult shot.
Hui’s final effort missed the mark, leaving Gomez with a 5-4 victory and his first win at an international event.
“It was mind-boggling to me,” Gomez said. “Throughout the three days, my game had improved. I had never seen myself play that well before.”
Unbeknownst to him, Javier had signed him up to play in the 20 to 25-year-old category of the tournament.
“I knew Angel could play competitively since he plays in the world events with 25-year-old and older players, so there was no reason for me to change that,” Javier said. “If he didn’t win, it [the tournament] would be practice for the next event.”
Since picking up the sport in the summer of 2020, Gomez said his father has been there to help him out every single time, supporting him every step of the way.
Alongside his father’s backing, Gomez receives support from his mother, Martina, who serves as his manager and cheerleader and habitually says, “A family that bowls together, stays together.”
This September, Gomez and his father will attend the Bowls USA National Championships in Milwaukee, Wis., and in November, the U.S. Open in Sun City, Ariz. The following month, Gomez will return to the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship, set to be hosted in Hong Kong.
“I’ve been mentally preparing myself for Hong Kong,” Gomez said. “I’m ready to tackle this.”
