SURFER GIRL: HOW HOLLYWOOD CHANGED SURFING
It’s the Fourth of July weekend and many Angelenos are headed to the beach! Surprise everyone at your BBQ when you tell them some fun facts about How Hollywood Changed Surfing.
It all started in 1957 when author Frederick Kohner wrote a novel inspired by his daughter Kathy, a teenager who spent her days on the beaches in Malibu. Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas was based on stories Kathy told her father of hanging out with influential surfers like Miki Dora, Mickey Munoz, Dewey Weber and Tom Morey. Because of her small stature, Kathy earned the nickname “Gidget,” a combination of the words Girl and Midget. It’s pretty surprising a father would encourage calling his own daughter a midget, but her nickname was soon cemented in pop culture history.
Gidget first appeared on the silver screen in 1959, played by Sandra Dee. The film spawned two sequels, a television series and a made-for-TV movie. Sally Field played Gidget in the short-lived television series on ABC. The commercial success of Gidget saw a sudden rise and fascination with surf culture. Surf shops began popping up, selling surfboards and surfer style clothing. Many of the original surfers were less than thrilled at this sudden exposure.
The girl midget paved the way for surf films in the sports genre that brought us cinematic gems like Blue Crush, Lords of Dogtown and Soul Surfer.
