Sheldon Bagrie-Howley is one of the new breed of youthful bowlers who have changed the face of the sport and given it a breath of fresh air.
Bagrie-Howley (18), of Gore, was persuaded to start bowls eight years ago by his grandmother Raewyn McCord.
''I was playing all sports under the sun and Nana told me to give bowls a go,'' Bagrie-Howley said.
''I played in my first tournament, won $300 first prize in a pairs event, and the game had me hooked.''
He quickly found he was a natural at the game, and has picked up national junior titles.
He is coached in Gore by Tony Cockerill.
''I also look up to Shannon McIlroy and get a few tips from Ken Walker,'' he said.
He recently played in a charity pairs at Invercargill with world champion Jo Edwards.
''I learnt heaps by just playing with her. A lot of it was composure.
''No bowl was bad. There was no criticism. Jo told me not to worry if I mucked up a bowl. I had to forget about it and move on to the next one.''
Walker, his fours skip at the championships, introduced Bagrie-Howley to the Professional Bowls Association in 2011.
He has had a successful record in the PBA and won the ranking pairs in Invercargill this year, but lost the national final and missed a trip to the United Kingdom.
''It has improved my bowls by making me strive to reach that standard. It is knockout and you have to play well from the start. You can't claw back halfway through a game.''