By day, Southern California local Kathy Zuckerman works at popular restaurant Duke’s Malibu, but back in the 1950s, she inspired the well-loved character Gidget. Before Gidget was adapted into a movie character, she existed in reality. As a teenager in the 1950s, Zuckerman — the real-life Gidget — would hit the Malibu beaches in the summer months to do one activity she loved: surfing. Ultimately, the experiences she described to her father, Frederick Kohner, would inspire him to write a novel titled “Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas.” The book was released in 1957 and soon exploded in popularity.

Although more than six decades have passed since that initial release, the iconic character of Gidget still serves as a representation of southern California beach culture, and it has inspired multiple generations of girls.

“I love the revival, the enthusiasm, that younger generations are now enjoying the story of me going surfing at Malibu in the ’50s,” Zuckerman says. “I think it’s wonderful to see so many girls in the water. When I was surfing, it was actually a relatively new sport. But there just weren’t many girls in the water.”

Back when Zuckerman was surfing from 1956 through 1958, she encountered men who did not view surfing as a women’s sport. They would make comments to her and would throw her surfboard over the fence. However, Zuckerman remained undeterred, and she finds this same perseverance reflected in the Gidget character.

“[It inspires] the determination of a young girl today who wants to do something — it doesn’t have to be surfing,” Zuckerman says. “The Gidget character could inspire the younger ladies of today to follow their dreams. I wanted to learn how to surf, and I went to Malibu as often as I could. I wanted to surf, and I wanted the boys to see that I could do it.”

Zuckerman believes Gidget remains a timeless, well-loved character because she not only inspires women to persevere, but also maintains a fun, light atmosphere that is attractive to people.

“There’s really not a dark side to the Gidget character, and I think in today’s world, where you learn about situations that are unpleasant and uncomfortable, that Gidget can represent the memories of a sweeter time,” Zuckerman says.

Although Zuckerman hung up her surfboard many decades ago as she moved on to college, marriage and other aspects of life, she still reflects fondly on her summer days spent on the Malibu beaches.

“It’s so nice and charming for me at my age to realize that my dad’s story [has caused people] to welcome me, welcome the character and welcome the enthusiasm I have for more waves to come,” Zuckerman says.

In fact, Zuckerman documented her teenage years in a diary, which she still has in her possession. In those pages, she described her days of surfing and growing up in the beach culture in the 1950s. She hopes to publish her diary pages soon to shed light on what the real-life Gidget’s daily life was like.

“Seeing those in print for other people to see, they could relate to the fact that yes, I was really a person and I really surfed,” Zuckerman says. “[They would say] this was what the surf was like in 1956, and this was sort of what my life was like in the ‘50s. I think it would resonate greatly with Southern California.”

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