Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman
Encyclopedia
Kathy Kohner Zuckerman was the real life inspiration for the fictional character of Franzie (nicknamed Gidget
) from the 1957 novel, Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas, written by her father Frederick Kohner
.
at the age of 15, sometimes trading her peanut butter and radish sandwiches for chances to ride. She hung out with such influential surfers as Miki Dora
, Mickey Munoz
, Dewey Weber
, Tom Morey
, and Nat Young
.
. Two other Gidget films were made, as well as a 1965 television series starring Sally Field
and several television movies.
and then returned to Los Angeles to teach. She married Marvin Zuckerman, a professor of Yiddish who had never heard of "Gidget". They have two children and live in Pacific Palisades.
Kathy still surfs annually to benefit a cancer charity. She was named No. 7 in Surfer Magazines 25 Most Influential People in Surfing.
Kohner-Zuckerman is a 2011 inductee into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California
in the Woman of the Year category.
Gidget
Gidget is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel, Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The novel follows the adventures of a teenage girl and her surfing friends on the beach at Malibu. The name Gidget is a portmanteau of "girl and midget"...
) from the 1957 novel, Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas, written by her father Frederick Kohner
Frederick Kohner
Frederick Kohner was an Austrian-born writer....
.
Early life
Kathy Kohner was born in 1941 and spent much of her childhood on the beaches at Malibu. She started surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
at the age of 15, sometimes trading her peanut butter and radish sandwiches for chances to ride. She hung out with such influential surfers as Miki Dora
Miki Dora
Miki "Da Cat" Dora, a.k.a. Mickey Dora, a.k.a. "The Black Knight," was an iconic Malibu surfer of the 1950s and 1960s. He had a unique style, in and out of the water, and was generally considered rather iconoclastic...
, Mickey Munoz
Mickey Munoz
Mickey Munoz, born in New York City in 1937, is one of the early pioneers of surfing but is perhaps more famous for his work as a surfboard shaper. Munoz, a historical figure in the surfing world, has been featured in many popular surfing documentaries such as the 2004 film Riding Giants...
, Dewey Weber
Dewey Weber
David Earl Weber, , known as Dewey Weber, was an American surfer.Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he stood out for his unique surfing style...
, Tom Morey
Tom Morey
Tom Morey also known by the moniker "Y" is a musician, engineer, and surfer responsible for several technological innovations that have heavily influenced modern developments in surfing equipment design....
, and Nat Young
Nat Young
Nat Young may refer to:* Nat Young , British painter* Nat Young , Australian surfing champion...
.
Gidget phenomenon
Based on Kathy's journal of her trips to Malibu, which her father discovered and read, Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas sold over 500,000 copies and was translated into Japanese, Spanish and Yiddish, among other languages. In 1959, Columbia Pictures, where Frederick Kohner had been a screen writer, adapted the novel into a film starring Sandra DeeSandra Dee
Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a model and progressed to film. Best known for her portrayal of ingenues, Dee won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 as one of the year's most promising newcomers, and over several years her films were popular...
. Two other Gidget films were made, as well as a 1965 television series starring Sally Field
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
and several television movies.
Adult life
Kathy attended Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and then returned to Los Angeles to teach. She married Marvin Zuckerman, a professor of Yiddish who had never heard of "Gidget". They have two children and live in Pacific Palisades.
Kathy still surfs annually to benefit a cancer charity. She was named No. 7 in Surfer Magazines 25 Most Influential People in Surfing.
Kohner-Zuckerman is a 2011 inductee into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
in the Woman of the Year category.
Quotes
You know, it's overwhelming, and I'm really touched. All I did was surf a little and tell my story.
I don't have the confidence I had when I was 15, I'm 64. I'm afraid of the other surfers. There weren't as many surfers in Malibu when I was a teenager.
Some people have Alcoholic Anonymous, Starbucks, church, I was retreating, trying to get away from high school and boys and movies on Saturday night ... I had Malibu.
Nobody knows I'm a real person -- they think "Gidget" is Sandra Dee or Sally Field.
I guess someone would have come along and done it eventually, had I not been there. I don't get it. All this talk of the "Gidget" myth, and the legend of "Gidget" ... all I know is now there are a million little "Gidgets" in the water, and I think it's fantastic.