SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Best-selling author and former surf champion Shaun Tomson said he wrote his latest book "to help people find their purpose and their path."

Tomson co-authored "The Surfer and The Sage: A Guide to Survive and Ride Life's Waves," based on his experience in the ocean and how he coped with the cyclical ups and downs of life, including the untimely death of his son. 

Tomson said it's not your typical self-help book, "like some sort of rah-rah, Kumbaya vibe. I'm telling you, man, this is (about) life and death."