It’s a World Qualifying Series event, meaning if he wins, he not only takes home prize money that counts toward his ranking for a bid at the ASP World Tour but he earns points that help him as well. He won the Shoe City Pro down by the pier on this same beach back in January, taking home $6,000 and a thousand points. That sounds like a lot of money but when you take into consideration the fact that the next three qualifying events were in Australia, then Hawaii, Argentina, Tahiti, and Martinique before coming stateside again, it doesn’t come out to much. In fact it ends up being too little which is why a lot of great surfers can’t make it to the World Tour. They don’t have the money to make it to the events, pay for lodging, and entrance fees. And even if you get there, there’s no guarantee you’ll win a purse. Lawson was at the Oakley Lowers Pro in San Clemente back in April but he didn’t win. He barely placed. Bad fog, bad waves. Bad timing. “What day does your flight leave?”
