Out of the Blue | Dominique Petruska | Brought to You by Schrader’s
This week, we feature Dominique Petruska from Calgary, AB in our ‘Out of the Blue’ WMX column brought to you by Schrader’s
Name: Dominique Petruska
Date of Birth: Sept 25
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Occupation: M7 Designs designer but currently on maternity leave
Race Number: 925
Bike: 2022 Honda CRF 250R
Race Club: Not currently racing but WRMA, MRC when I was.
Classes: Ladies/WMX
Who/what inspired you to get onto a dirt bike and how long have you been racing/riding?
My dad. Dirt biking was something that started out as a family activity out in Radium, BC, mostly. He then started to bring us out to the Second Gear Club races out in Waipourous and McLean Creek outside of Calgary, and once or twice a year we would go camping out in Koocanusa with our off-road crew. I learned how to ride out in Koocanusa, I’m pretty sure. I’ve been on bikes for about 30 years and I definitely owe my love of them to my dad. But I will say it sometimes felt like a forced activity when I was really little and I was actually quite scared, especially when it was time to move up to a bike with a clutch! It wasn’t until my teenage years that I really started to love off road riding and going to the off road races. At 21 I started racing Nationals and did that for, I think, 9 years.
From your first ride to where you are now what is something you never thought you would be able to overcome but have?
When I first started riding, it wasn’t something I liked very much but I loved camping and the atmosphere around it. When I started riding at the track years later and thinking about racing moto I was into my 20’s and at the time I never imagined racing Nationals and travelling across Canada or even finishing in the top 10 next to girls I never thought I would be “as fast as.” I was never a sports girl growing up – I didn’t really have a “thing” so when I started riding at the track I would say I found my “thing” and fell in love with it. The biggest hurdles I never thought I would overcome through all of this were jumps. I truly never thought I would be able to send some of the jumps I have. And to be honest now that I’ve taken such a long hiatus from moto I would be perfectly content riding corner tracks only for the rest of my life!
I know you’re getting back into bikes again.. When you stepped back for a bit was there something else you got into that you feel dirt bikes helped make the transition easy?
Our good friend Todd Sewell had been trying to get our whole crew on MTB’s for years and we just never prioritized it when we were racing, which is silly to me to think back on. Finally in 2019 or 2020, Jared and I got ourselves some bikes and we were hooked. I think for most of us the transition to mountain biking is usually pretty easy, but I’ve always been terrified of going down hills on my dirt bike so to be honest it took me quite a bit to get comfy on a mountain bike. I do think that the skills on both can cross over to one another though and I wish I got into it sooner because it is a lot of fun. Now I have an e-bike and I will say I am comfier on an e-bike than an analog bike and I attribute that to dirt biking.
What is your favourite track and why?
All time fave is Cahuilla Creek in California. Looove the elevation changes, the dirt, the location, just everything about it. But I have to give a shout out to Wild Rose here in Calgary because there is no track like it being in the middle of our city. Downtown YYC is in the backdrop of thousands of photos from ride days, Super Saturdays, and Nationals where riders come from all over the country and out of the country. WRMA brings tons of money into the city – I think we just learned that it brought $7 million in tourism to the city in 2023 actually. It has given people a convenient place to ride with it being a quick after-work-commute away for most members. So many memories have been made there for us and so many other riders and families. I imagined sharing those memories with our kids if they do choose to ride. The day the gate closes for the last time is going to be a very sad day. Big thank you to the Save the Park Committee and the WRMA Board members for doing everything they can. Very thankful to have had a space like WRMA to ride at over the years.
What event did you look forward to most when you were racing? Whats one you didn’t ever want to miss?
I do look forward to hitting at least one Surfin Berms event a year. Hopefully, a couple more this year. The vibe is chill, there’s no pressure, and it’s always nice to see familiar faces. Let’s be honest, I can’t hang on to the bike for more than a couple laps and if I’m going riding this is a great way to ease back into it while also supporting the sport.
Who has been your biggest inspiration/hero on and off the track?
My husband Jared (Pertruska) and my dad. Anything I accomplished in moto I owe to Jared. He’s really been dealt his fair share of adversity in this sport and his resilience and strength has been inspiring even when it’s been hard to watch. My dad was the walking definition of living life fully. He’s no longer with us but he is forever my hero.
Did you have any pre-race rituals?
Not really? However, the last couple years of racing, Jared and I started going to the Laugh Shop the night before the Calgary National to catch a comedy show. It felt like a good way to ease some of the race anxiety. Laughter really is good for the soul!
What are your plans for this upcoming season? Any specific events you’re looking forward to?
I just hope to get on my bike more than a handful of times this season. I actually just had my first ride of the year this past Sunday and first ride since before I was pregnant with our now 4-month-old. I would love to hit a Surfin Berms night or two and we’ll most likely be at the Calgary National spectating which we’ve done each year since we had Tate so it feels like a tradition with him now. I did hear about a Walton Women’s vet class though! I definitely will not be lining up but I am excited to hear about it and see some highlights!
What are your biggest accomplishments to date?
That one time I beat Jared at a Shift Holeshot Challenge!!! Funny story – one of my wedding vows 2 years prior was to beat him in a holeshot challenge after he cut me off in one the summer before we got married. He will never hear the end of it! Finishing 3rd in Calgary in 2018 and 2nd (in a moto – 3rd overall) in Walton in 2020 are big for me too. Both of these races have special stories behind them and I hold these races close to my heart. And lastly, the first year I raced the west WMX series I got the most improved rider award and that meant a lot to me.
What is the biggest lesson that racing has taught you?
Hindsight is 20/20, so being out of it now I feel I can look back on my time racing with a different perspective. Don’t take results too seriously. It’s everything else behind the result that matters. The hours spent riding and learning. The people I met along the way. Facing adversity and coming out on the other end of it. The behind the scenes stuff. The work put in. The challenge of just wanting to be better on and off the bike. The road trips to the races and memories made every weekend. The ladies all high five-ing after the finish line. There is sooooo much growth that comes with racing dirt bikes and not just in riding but in so many aspects of life.
For me the results don’t matter now that I’m out of it. Yes, I know I just said my biggest accomplishments are two podiums, but it really is the behind the scenes of those two results that are near and dear to me. I’m not saying don’t strive for good results or to do your best, I merely mean in the grand scheme of it all the numbers on the paper was not the most important part and at times I got lost in that.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Probably pulling my hair out on the side of the track while my boys (including Jared) scare the living sh*t outta me….
Are there any females out there who you feel have paved the way for other girls to be successful in motocross or off road?
There are a lot of girls that have paved the way and motivated other racers and riders over the years. Jolene (Van Vugt), Jocelyn (Facciotti), Heidi (Cooke), Jess Foster were all racing before I was into motocross or even knew what motocross was, if I’m being honest, but I know they inspired some of the girls I raced with when I started out. Denaye (Arnett), Camille (Bunko), and Sierra (Roth) were supporting WMX back when I started and had a huge impact on our sport. Danika (White) starting up Surfin Berms and growing a ladies community around here as well. They’ve all not only supported and given back to WMX but also all shred on a bike. I also need to give a shout out to Eve (Brodeur) who has for sure inspired a lot of not only current women racers but the younger girls just getting into the sport.
What kind of track/dirt/terrain did you feel you excelled at most and why?
I would say slow and technical was more my jam. I did better when there were ruts and bumps and not so well when the track was smooth and fast. Always felt the most at home on hard pack tracks like WRMA in Calgary.
Now that you have children, do you think you will give them the opportunity to race as well?
The million dollar question… If they enjoy riding and we feel they are confident enough on a bike and able to tell us they want to race, then yes we will give them that opportunity. It’s funny because we really haven’t exposed our oldest to the sport that much. We watch SX and outdoors and the bikes are still in the garage, but he’s only been to the track only a couple of times. He’s only 2.5 and for not being exposed that much he talks about dirt biking constantly and has since the very first time he watched it or went to the track. He pretends his strider is his dirt bike and talks about whipping and hitting jumps. He actually just got his Stacyc going and was all smiles and kept yelling, “this is really fun!” So I do think it’s going to be tough to keep him away from it.
If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be?
Do it! But definitely try and find someone or a group that can help teach the skills from the get go. A good community to ride with makes it more enjoyable but having some basic skills taught first and foremost is important in the learning process I think. When I started riding moto I didn’t really have anyone teaching me the basics and I had a big crash that could have kept me from getting back on a bike due to fear if I didn’t have Jared to help me learn some basic skills. Again, getting out to an event like Surfin Berms or another ladies event in your area would be a great place to start!
What was your first fear when you started riding and how did you overcome it?
Again, jumps! Jared yelled at me one morning so then I started doing them. No, but seriously, jumps kind of just came as I worked on other things and progressed on the bike, but I definitely needed the push from him and my moto friends many times. I will say that Jared really did yell at me once after practice at a Nanaimo National for not doing the jumps and I was so fired up that I ended up hitting them all first lap of the race so while it worked at the time I don’t condone yelling!
What was your first race number and how did you choose it?
925. No cool story here it’s just my birthday.
Do you see yourself ever competing in the Canadian WMX Triple Crown series again? What are your thoughts on the series?
No. I’ve lived that life and glad I did. The amount of seat time I would need to feel confident lining up and not hurt myself requires time that I just don’t have anymore and I really have no desire to do so right now. Having kids also changed my mindset and I feel more cautious every time I ride than I did pre-kids. Risk outweighs reward in my current season of life. And the vulnerable truth is that I was hard on myself the years I raced. I think because I really felt like I found my thing when I started riding moto I wanted to do the best I could and that sometimes stole the joy.
We are our own worst critics, but if I could go back in time I would tell myself to relax and enjoy the process more. Don’t get me wrong, I DID have fun. A lot of it. I mean that’s why we ride dirt bikes! But I stressed myself out at times unnecessarily and as I start to think about getting back into it, it’s strictly because I just love riding.
In regards to the series – I haven’t paid close enough attention to really comment here. I hope things go smoothly this year and the racers have good experiences though!
Who would you like to thank?
You, Jensen, for giving this washed-up-moto-chick-now-mom an opportunity to reminisce on my past. Every single person I came across and met through this sport – thank you. ︎
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