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Julia Austin

Technical Designer/Developer

"Every time I get on a bike I’m left wanting more."

As an Oregon native, the outdoors were ingrained in me as a child but organized sports were too. I had dreams of playing college basketball and was on my way to doing so when I discovered snowboarding. Without pause, I decided to retire from my 10 year ball career and seek my independence on the mountain. Snowboarding was life.

With a family full of professional artists, I was always involved in some sort of art-focused camp or class during the summer months. That summer of my big decision, after I stopped traveling for basketball, I attended a week-long program through the Art Institute of Portland. There, everything started coming together for me; I realized that my passions were aligned. I wanted to find my way to college, study Design and make snowboard gear. So that’s exactly what I did. I was accepted into the Art Institute and during my coursework, I quickly found that every project I loved was focused in technical apparel design, or was action sport related. I completed my program, earning a BA in Apparel Design with a minor in Sustainability.

I landed my first Design job at Adidas, before I even walked the stage. Next I joined a contracting firm where I worked for innovative companies like Trew Gear, Kuiu, and Lululemon - all the while going to school full time and bartending. I know my crazy schedule and competitive drive helped me develop my intense work ethic, which eventually helped me land my dream job at Dakine, where I worked as a Technical Designer. After working for three years in that role, I knew I was being called in another direction and my time would come to an end. I achieved what I believed was my dream and never thought about what was next. So, last summer I decided to move into my car with my dog and relieve myself of major responsibilities in order to reinvent myself.

A few weeks into this new adventure I was invited by an old Dakine colleague, Scottie to do some contract work for Mosko Moto. It didn’t take long for me to realize Mosko was a place I wanted to work permanently. I knew this could be the perfect opportunity to discover a new world and embark on challenges that would shape and form the new side of me that I was seeking. I was in my car for only 3 months when I landed a home in Hood River and then set my next goal: to obtain full time employment with Mosko. And so it was, I got the job!

Although the moto world is relatively new to me, my passion for technical design and desire to be outdoors mean I’m well suited for more two-wheeled adventures. Every time I get on a bike I’m left wanting more. I know this will be another life changing chapter, and I am beyond stoked to experience it with this team. Dare I say it? Moto is life.