The 16th annual Keith Noel Memorial Jetty Kid Surf Kontest will take place Sept. 25 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in south Mission Beach near the jetty. Noel was a Mission Beach native. When he died in 1995, he left in his will a request to provide a free annual surf competition for children. “The jetty was his home break,” said Marianne Kendall, Noel’s former fiancée and organizer for the event. Local surfers referred to him as “the Jetty Kid” when he was growing up. The unique surf “kontest” is the only free surfing contest just for kids in the area, Kendall said. The name of the event itself has meaning. “Keith had this thing he did where he turned all c’s into k’s,” Kendall said. “It was just a little quirk he had.” Noel owned a vintage Hawaiian shirt shop in Mission Beach for 17 years called Keith’s Klothes Kastle. Noel left funds to support an annual free surfing kontest for local children. His former surfing friends run the competition and serve as the judges. There will be six divisions for the contest. Girls ages 8-16 and boys ages 8-15 will be allowed to compete for several prizes, including wetsuits, surfboards and board bags. Fresh flower leis will be given to the winners of the judged divisions in honor of Noel’s love for the Hawaiian culture. The event encourages young, non-sponsored amateur surfers to enter, since sponsored surfers are not allowed to participate. In addition, surfers age seven and under will be allowed to enter with an accompanying parent. There will not be judging for the Super Menehuene Division. All participating children who are pre-registered will go home with a T-shirt and surfing trophy. Burritos, pizza, breakfast foods and drinks are provided free to participants and their families. “All day long I get parents coming up to me and saying that it’s the greatest thing that they do with their kids all year,” Kendall said. For more information, call (858) 539-4422. Entry forms are available at the front desk of Coldwell Banker, 4090 Mission Blvd., or online at www.san-diego-coastal-properties.com. Click on “Community Info.”