Austin was born in Tarzana, California , and raised in nearby Palos Verdes. As a small child, her brother would mispronounce her name, saying "Cole Cole" or "Co-co" in place of "Nicole". Eventually her family began addressing her as Coco. The family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when she was She grew up as a tomboy , riding all-terrain vehicles and playing football. At 18, Austin began specializing in swimsuit, lingerie and body modeling, for calendars, catalogs and videos.