Kind man leaves legacy in the form of a free surf contest for children There’s a lot to be happy about here in the beach area, and nothing can make us as happy as seeing our kids romping about on the waves of the Pacific Ocean. On Sept. 26 a bunch of young surf rats could be seen wearing colored jerseys under their wetsuits, running all over the sand near the South Mission Beach jetty. This was the scene of the 15th annual Keith Noel Jetty Kid Surf Contest. It was a sight to behold. The sun-kissed surfer kids were in their element. The youngsters were fed all day long, given T-shirts and leis, and awarded prizes. The boys and girls in the divisions for ages 8 to 16 competed for surfboards, wetsuits, board bags and trophies. There was even a Super Menehuene division for kids 7 and under. Parents were allowed to wade into the surf to help out the tiny surfers in this division, and every one of these kids was given a trophy. The surfing event has an interesting origin. It was begun based on a request in the will of Keith Noel, the man who ran Keith’s Klothes Kastle, a vintage Hawaiian shirt shop in Mission Beach. Noel was a graduate of Mission Bay High School where he was on the cheerleading squad. He was an avid surfer and the South Mission jetty was his regular spot, thus he was known as The Jetty Kid. Noel wanted to inspire youngsters to love the sport of surfing just as much as he did, so he made this one of his wishes. He wanted to be remembered as the guy who started this contest, which is completely free of charge to all the kids who participate in it. The San Diego Crew Foundation was begun to ensure that Noel’s wish would endure. His old surfing buddies run the event while fiancee Marianne Kendall and volunteers from the Pacific Beach office of Coldwell Banker Real Estate staff the food tent. Yes, you see a lot of really great things in the beach communities and this event is definitely one of them.