At 21, Izzi Gomez — granddaughter of West Coast Surf Shop owners Roni and Jim Brady and daughter of Brandi Brady and Raul Gomez — continues to ride a wave of success.
She won her first Stand Up Paddleboard Surfing World Tour event in 2013 and ended up finishing the year No. 3 in the world. Not bad for her first time competing on tour.
Gomez, brother Giorgio and mom lived on Anna Maria Island until she was 5, when they moved to Jupiter. There, she and her brother enjoyed consistent wave-riding surf at New Smyrna Beach and Sebastian Inlet, and Giorgio turned her onto SUP.
Gomez was a natural. She began entering local contests and went on to win the SUP Surfing World Tour title in 2014. By 2019, at age 19, Gomez had captured five world titles.
And now she’s walking away from her SUP career.
When asked why, Gomez showed her’s wasn’t a snap decision.
“Honestly, I felt burnt out. From age 13-18 my focus was on SUP and SUP only. I had success right away and was able to maintain that for a long time but there comes a point where winning just doesn’t do it anymore. I felt like there was a lack of competition and the sport had started to plateau — so that played a big part in my decision to strive for something bigger and more challenging.”
Gomez said traditional surfing was always in her heart, but she isn’t going back to that.
No. There’s nothing traditional about Gomez.
She’s running up a career in big wave surfing.
Big wave surfing is a different animal from regular surfing, especially when compared to the “dinky surf” where she learned to paddle a wave — on the beaches of Anna Maria Island.
In big wave surfing, the surfer gets pulled into the wave by someone driving a personal watercraft and, once they’re there, they’re at the mercy of the wave.
Gomez said being locked in on a 30-foot wave is a feeling like no other. “When you’re in the water at a big wave spot, there’s just so much energy moving around so you just have to surrender to that.
Gomez said a wipeout on a 30-foot wave is pretty violent and she wasn’t under for a super long time, but she experienced whiplash-like symptoms after the tumble.
Another experience came when Gomez participated in the 2021 Olympic trials in El Salvador. Things didn’t go her way, as she was nursing an injury, but she’s looking forward to representing Columbia — her father’s country of birth — in 2024. “I loved seeing all the countries come together and I got to watch a few of my friends qualify for the games.”
When asked how long she anticipates competing, Gomez said, “I plan to compete as long as I am still passionate and my body allows me.”
Beyond the competition, Gomez says she would love to do something to help other athletes, whether as a manager, sports psychologist or physical trainer. “I’ve learned so much and hope that I can put that knowledge to use in the best way.”
Based on what Gomez already has accomplished, there’s no doubt she can achieve whatever she sets her mind on.
Cheers to you, Izzi — and to your island family.
See the story and photos in The Red Bulletin magazine Here
