The Hottest Pepper Blog

April 13, 2010

Healthy and Happy

Filed under: Green living, Health, Uncategorized, surfing — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:39 pm

hanakpaiai fallsJamie bamboo forest 259x300 Healthy and Happy

Hanakapiai Falls and Jamie among a vast Bamboo forest.

rock climbing hanakapiai beach 224x300 Healthy and Happygreen hues forest 282x300 Healthy and Happy

Jamie Rock climbing, and the beautiful green hues of the forest.

Aloha Everyone,

Thank you very much for reading my blogs.  Last November I tore my right MCL surfing at off The Wall.  The tear did not require surgery, but has kept me out of the water for more than 4 months.  I have been stitched up countless times over the years from my surfboard hitting me,  fin cuts, reef cuts, etc. but I have never had an injury that kept me out of the water for more than a few days.  This was undoubtedly the worst, and I missed a very, very good winter here on the North Shore.  I seldom went to the beach to watch the surf as I couldn’t stand not being in the action.

I have been surfing with a brace on my right knee for the past few weeks and even though I am a little stiff, it is great just to be in the water again. I started running a few weeks ago as well and even though I can’t go full-speed, it is great just to sweat naturally instead of from some man made machine.

Yesterday, I was on Kauai and did a day hike to Hanakapiai Falls.  The weather was fantastic, I brought a great lunch and the day couldn’t have been better. The eight mile round trip from the end of the road in Haena was very muddy, slippery, and dangerous at times, but well worth the effort.

I am writing this blog is to tell any of you that are currently injured that there will be a day when you will be well again and able to resume your daily activities.  Whether it’s working in the garden, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or training for a marathon–that day will come.

Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

Cheers,

Jamie

July 5, 2009

Surfing Safari

Filed under: Where is Jamie, surfing — Tags: , — admin @ 7:23 pm

Aloha,  Here are my photos finally updated from my trip, Enjoy the picture slideshow!

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Aloha Everyone,

Thanks for being patient. I am reluctantly back in the USA and at my desk in San Diego. Have to do the “hard yards” for a few days before I can go home to Hawaii. Anyway, we will start our “Where’s Jamie” contest right now with these photos from my trip. The winner gets a $50.00 gift certificate from our Bamboo and Tikis website (bambooandtikis.com). I will give you a hint and let you know that I was in Central America. You must now guess the country

and the approximate geographic location. I cannot expect you to know exactly where I was as it was not WWW accessible and dirt roads only. No more hints!
Now about the trip. I travel a lot with my friend Tom. His wife Heather lets him go with me which is saying a lot since I have always been single and have been known to get into a wee bit of trouble now and again. Anyway we had a great 2 weeks and did nothing but surfed. It was cranking and we surfed at least 6 hours a day. We were in bed by 9PM and in the water by 5AM. And much to my chagrin, we only went into town one night and even then we were back to our place by 11PM. I just found out that I cannot post any photos except some surf shots as they are on my friends computer. Here they are. Enjoy…Jamie

surfing hawaii

going for it

late drop

late surf drop

big dog

June 3, 2009

The Box Jellyfish

Filed under: Information, surfing — admin @ 10:59 am

moz screenshot The Box Jellyfish

jellyfish The Box Jellyfish

I am sure that most of you have heard of this creature. It is a jellyfish that belongs to the Cubomedusae family and is found in subtropical and tropical waters. We usually do not have a problem with them on the North Shore but as I have written in my previous blogs, the Spring surfing has been very good here this year. And as the Spring rolled along, the water kept getting warmer and warmer. Our ocean temperature now is 80′ plus and this attracts jellyfish.

Box jellyfish have almost perfectly shaped square bells, with their tentacles hanging from each corner of the box. In parts of the world other than Hawaii such as the South Pacific and Australia, the sting from the Box Jellyfish can be fatal. It kind of short circuits the electrical system in your body. But, here in Hawaii we have only the non-lethal type that sting but do not kill.

Last week I was surfing Rocky Point and after “duck diving” a wave, I felt a tremendous burning sensation on several parts of my body. The worst was on my right leg just above the knee. I looked down and was surprised to see about 40 stings from the Box Jellyfish. This was the first time and hopefully the last time that I will get stung. I got out of the water and drove directly to the local fire department. Since I was familiar with the lethal type of Box Jellyfish from my travels, I went to there to make sure I wasn’t going to die. My leg started swelling and it felt like someone kicked me very hard in my groin with a size 18 shoe! The guys at the fire department informed me that as long as I didn’t have difficulty breathing I would be alright. As you can easily tell from this story, I did survive and am writing to you to tell you of this experience.

Tomorrow we will have great surf again as a nice NW swell hit this evening and the wind is perfect. It will be Gas Chambers at dawn with my friend Bob and hopefully no one else out. At least for awhile… So even though there are a few more hazards associated with the warmer water, I will gladly exchange a few hours of pain and suffering for more surf. Keep it coming-the surf that is.  Please!

Please!

May 8, 2009

The Surf Stoke

Filed under: Bhut jolokia garden, surfing — admin @ 9:13 am

It’s just after 9:30am and I just got out of my hot, soothing shower, a luxury most of us take for granted here in the States. I was up at 5:30 am doing my mandatory slug hunt and intuitively knew that the surf was going to be good again! I hurried through my check finding 3 bastard slugs and then headed for the kitchen where an over steeped 100% Kona organic coffee was waiting for me in the French Press. My wetsuit and 6’ 4” rounded pintail surfboard were already in the bed of my truck eager to hit the surf. The 1.3 mile drive took about 3 mintues and by 6:00am I was in the water at Rocky Point. And oh what a morning! The surf was a solid 3-5’ traditional Hawaiian scale (6-10’ faces) and absolute sheet glass. For those of you rookies—sheet glass is water that is so smooth that it appears to be like glass—so smooth and perfect without a ripple on the face of the wave nor on the surface of the ocean. With only 3 of us out this is “Dawn Patrol” at its finest and today everyone is stoked. There are no bad vibes from overcrowding, there are only smiles, and each of us giving the other surfers waves—“You go Brah!”

The Spring surf on the North Shore of Oahu can be hit or miss but this Spring has been very, very good- lot of waves and a lot of days with no crowds. It does get crowded, but not at dawn and this is when I like to surf the best. Today was a 3 hour session that yielded about 20 waves for me. Not bad for a 55 year old “Geezer” that still tries to charge. The “kids” are stoked seeing guys like me out in the water riding short boards, and taking off “deep”. They are stoked because they know that someday they too will be the old guy out in the water, or so they hope. “True” surfers will always surf and this comes from the heart– not from the clothes or from the latest in sunglasses trends. I am as stoked at 55 as I was at 18! There is no better way to start your day than to surf good waves with a few friends. For me this is what life is all about. Everything else can wait—has to wait! There are just too many variables with surfing-swell, tide, wind, crowd, etc. so when the surf is good-you gotta go! Surfing is the sole of my existence and is almost pious to me. I have lived my entire life making surfing as a priority. I wish that I could give everyone the peace that I feel out in the water. I don’t think about anything bad, I just concentrate on the present, taking all that is offered to me and am thankful for each and every wave. And when I see the kids ripping and doing airs- I get even more stoked! Life is finding things like surfing where nothing can interfere, where you are protected and safe- a place where you find solace and peace of mind and become a better person because of it.

May 4, 2009

Just Another Day in Paradise…

Filed under: Bhut jolokia garden, surfing — admin @ 9:12 am

GC+May+4,+%2709 Just Another Day in Paradise...wave Just Another Day in Paradise...My+Bench Just Another Day in Paradise...

Moon+Set Just Another Day in Paradise...It’s 5:30 AM and I am sitting on a home made rock bench in my garden. I often sit here with the hopes of slowing time down. But, time stands still for no one…

The first sign of dawn spreading it’s wings approaches in a hurry and it’s going to be another glorious day in “The Country.” I am here in the garden with a flashlight in hand for the purpose of putting a temporary halt to the damage caused by slugs, cockroaches and millipedes. This is 2 hours of my day, everyday– an hour in the early morning, and another hour before I go to bed. I will never win this war, but I can win a battle or two every now and again. And although this is a huge pain in the butt, I will never resort to the conventional method of pest eradication using chemicals. You are what you eat, and by eating mostly from my garden since I was 18, I am hoping to avoid the carcinogens that are in just about everything we eat and breathe.

The surf will be good today. The waves are crashing on the beautiful reef in front of my house and I know that it’s double overhead plus. The palm fronds are silent and that means we are in a light and variable wind condition. I will surf Gas Chambers as soon as I get finished here. I must work rapidly now so I can avoid the early morning surf crowd but I am still glued to the rock bench. Why do I continue to sit? As I approached the garden I witnessed an incredible moon setting over the Pacific. I was once again reminded of how lucky I am to live in Hawaii. The North Shore of Oahu has been surfings “Mecca” for more than 50 years, and I live right smack in the middle of the 7 Mile Miracle. This stretch of beaches is home to more than 20 surf breaks that can attain “world class” status when swell size, swell direction, tide and wind all come together. And I know from experience that this is going to be one of those days. But still I sit and ponder and thank God for my good fortune. And I thank God for my good health. As I grow older I know that someday I will not be able to compete with the “kids” in the water and I know that someday my body will begin to crackle and ache and I know that my time on this planet will end all too soon. And because of this, I sit and breathe deeply the perfect unspoiled Hawaiian air and I do slow time down if only for a minute of two…

April 13, 2009

About us & The Hottest Pepper in the World – The Bhut Jolokia

Filed under: Bhut jolokia garden, Fresh garden eating, Information, surfing — admin @ 9:06 am

ABOUT US

Jamie KocherJamie Kocher, the President of The Waimea Bay Chile Pepper Company has been organic gardening and farming for more than 35 years. His interest in organic gardening began at age 18 when he rented several community garden plots from the city of Long Beach while attending college. He has always had organic gardens, and to this day enjoys the satisfaction of growing most of his food and from sharing his knowledge and tricks of the trade to friends and acquaintances. He started an organic nursery in San Diego in 1985 and introduced the first “Mainland” hybrid bananas to this area in 1988. He moved back to the North Shore of Oahu in 1997 to surf more, and to get back to basics. As an airline pilot for American Airlines for 24 years he had the flexibility to commute to Los Angeles to work but would fly right back to Hawaii for his airline trip. His gardens utilize raised beds and the French intensive method, and the results are incredible. Typical Bhut Jolokia plants are 2 or 3 feet high and produce 30-50 fruits, but Jamie’s organically grown Bhut Jolokia plants are 6-8 feet tall, with very thick trunks, and produce 200-250 fruits. He attributes this to his homemade compost, lots of TLC, and a lot of luck!

MISSION STATEMENT

Our website is dedicated to the Bhut Jolokia pepper. It has merits way beyond it’s intense heat. It is our intent to educate the reader on the amazing healing powers of this pepper, and other peppers that contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is the chemical compound found in the intestinal tract of the pepper and is what generates the sensation of heat. The health value of peppers has been known for hundreds of years in many parts of the world, but is just now being recognized as a viable, and accepted treatment in the Western world. Capsaicin is being used today for many, many types of treatments. Please see our health benefit section for more information.

At The Waimea Bay Chili Pepper Company, we offer the best organic Bhut Jolokia seeds that money can buy. We offer a no frills, no BS website that is simple to use and gives the reader a good working knowledge of capsaicin and its great healing powers. Is capsaicin recognized by the AMA? No it is not. Have we done any clinical testing relating to the healing powers of capsaicin? No we have not. Our claim is this—We use the Bhut Jolokia in our lives everyday. We believe in its healing abilities, and want to share our good fortune. Do we want to profit from the sale of our seeds? Of course we do, but founder Jamie Kocher is a successful businessman, and a retired airline pilot and will contribute 25% of the profits from this company to The Surfrider Foundation, and the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. Aloha.

WHAT IS ORGANIC?

Many people think that the term “organic” means the growing of any living thing without the use of man made chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This is partially true. However, a more correct definition is a sustainable type of growing plants, and animals that does no harm to the land. To grow something organically whether it is plant or animal is to grow with a sense of responsibility and to have a stewardship for the land. To grow organically is to enhance the soil and prevent erosion. In organic farming one raises mixed crops, rotating a heavy feeder with nitrogen producing legume, uses mixed vegetable and animal wastes to make humus. In organic farming there is no waste. There is a balance between the living and the dying and there is no damage to the Earth. Here at the Waimea Bay Chili Pepper Company, we utilize each and every concept of organic farming. Our soils are filled with earthworms and micro organisms that enhance the growing process. There is no chemical runoff that destroys the rivers and oceans. We take pride in each and everything we grow and revere the soil and its ability to sustain and heal!