Lady Ripper Longboards Big Cottonwood Canyon

Julia Barklow

Julia is a casual and friendly tie-dye-clad daredevil who is rather calculated about the risks she takes. Someone recommended her to me as a woman to highlight for the Wild Women of the Wasatch series I produce. I've followed her skateboarding renegades for half a year now and finally got a chance to meet up with her to showcase her skills on the board while also showcasing the unique transition to spring from the high mountain elevations descending into Salt Lake City. The entire day spent with Julia had me staring in awe and getting adrenaline rushes from simply watching her rip down the canyon roads on her longboard at mach 40 mph. The day we filmed this she was wrapping up her final day of work as a GIS analyst and prepping to fly to the Philippines on the world tour for downhill skateboard racing. Brave babe!

“Going really fast down a canyon on a skateboard gets your mind firing at a really high rate, so your brain is working really quickly yet it’s completely silent. It’s the feeling you get while slashing pow on a snowboard, but your brain is always engaged with that feeling while longboarding. Safety is your number one priority. ”

She moved to Salt Lake City from the San Francisco Bay Area for the accessibility, affordability, and variety of recreation in the Wasatch. Julia earned her undergraduate degree in Geographic Information Sciences at the University of Utah and has been working as a GIS analyst since graduating. While at the University she started longboarding around campus and soon caught the love of speed.

Participation and connection with the downhill skateboarding community is important to her. What inspires her the most about women in her sport are the energies she feels without having to try to impress them. Her advice to find happiness is to follow your heart and your gut, and it will take you to amazing places. Starting this month, she’ll be participating in the International Downhill Federation World Tour. 

Go Julia! Follow her boarder babe adventures on Instagram @GoHuckYaSelf. 

Happy Spring shredding!! -@AmyJaneDavid