Bowled Over In Bustle Of La

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday April 12, 2008

By PAUL ZALUNARDO

THE hustle and bustle of Los Angeles is hardly the locale in which you would expect a 30-year-old woman to turn to lawn bowls.

But those are the ingredients that resulted in Rosa Gandara flying the flag for the US in this week's World Cup Singles tournament at Warilla.

Gandara has enjoyed plenty of success since first learning about bias, weight and grass four years ago.

"I didn't even know lawn bowls existed, but my boyfriend was playing lawn bowls at the time we met, that got me into it," Gandara said.

"I have been playing ever since."

She is one of 55 bowlers who flew in for the World Cup Singles and World Junior Cup from as far away as Botswana, Portugal and Korea.

Many of the international contingent are expatriate Brits.

But the growing number of nations involved in the sport nonetheless points towards a bright future.

Despite her love for the game, Gandara said those close to her were yet to catch the lawn bowls bug.

"My friends aren't into it and my family have never seen me play," the American admitted.

"I think maybe they would get bored or they wouldn't understand it," she added.

There is nowhere near the strength of competition in the US that her Australian contemporaries have to deal with, but Gandara's record in the game remains impressive.

After winning the US women's singles title at her first attempt in 2005, Gandara proved that wasn't a fluke by repeating the effort the following year.

She missed the chance to make it three in a row by opting to represent her country at Warilla in last November's World Champion of Champions outdoor event.

While her occupation as a production artist for an advertising company keeps her busy for most of the year, holiday time means international bowls tournaments.

"I don't take any vacations now, this (bowls trips) is it," she said.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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