Peggy Stockton holding Don Brown and Johnny Kornoff.
For a really fun book, read Remembering Muscle Beach by Harold Zinkin, 1999 Angel City Press, INC. It is filled with great photos of gymnastics stunts and neat remembrances. Here are two such photos of John Kornoff who was a WSU football player for two years before he went off to war.
Peggy Stockton holding Don Brown and Johnny Kornoff.
“Although an excellent gymnast, John Kornoff attended Washington State College on a football scholarship until war was declared. In 1941, after two years of college, he joined the Army Air Force and became the first physical training instructor at Mitchell Field in New York.” Pg. 66 from Remembering Muscle Beach.
When America went to war in 1941, Muscle Beach went with it.
The City of Santa Monica sent Zinkin, Saunders and Ran Hall out to promote the sale of war bonds. Subsequently, they and most of their pals served in the armed forces. One of them, John Kornoff, appeared on the cover of LOOK magazine, bare-chested, holding a rifle, as a symbol of the American fighting man. As much as anything else, Zinkin believes, that photo was “the beginning of a change of attitude regarding fitness,” but, he adds, “It was certainly revolutionary to see a Muscle Beach regular glorified instead of vilified.”
From “New Book Celebrates Santa Monica Heyday” article By Peggy Clifford. Santa Monica Mirror Editor --1999 book review of Remembering Muscle Beach by Harold Zinkin 1999 Angel City Press, INC.
Betsy Erickson Woodruff was a contestant on an early American Gladiator tv show. Did you know she won?
Radio talk show personality John Carlson (KVI) competed in gymnastics for West Seattle High. “Hope your history records that Sophomore John Carlson demolished the floor excerise record at West Seattle High School by nailing his routine at the Metro Championships at Nathan Hale High, scoring a 6.95 to finish 8th in the city. West Seattle secured its’ third straight Metro title that year.”