January 26, 2015 – It is with great sadness that Cross Country Ontario and Cross Country Canada announce the passing of Larry Sinclair. As a young man, Larry competed both at the provincial and national level. The Sinclair family name was synonymous with cross-country skiing in Collingwood. Larry’s dad, Jim was very involved as a coach and in sport development and Larry’s brother Shawn and sister Shelly have always been and still are heavily involved in officiating and management in the sport.

In the late 70’s and 80s, Larry turned his focus from competing to coaching. He started out as the coach of a successful University of Guelph ski team introducing the sport to many and developing lasting friendships, through his quiet and humble enthusiasm and passion for excellence.

His interest in university sport was always strong and he led the first Canadian team to the World University Games, 1989 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was also an innovator, leading several junior, provincial team trips to Europe to help young athletes gain valuable international experiences. Future National Team members such as Al Pilcher and Darren Derochie and others really benefitted from this experience.

Larry was a wax technician with the Canadian team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics and also assisted on other National Team assignments. In Canada, Larry led Southern Ontario and Ontario for many years as Head Coach and is a past recipient of the Heinz Niederhauser Coaching Award for excellence in coaching. It was fitting as Heinz was one of Larry’s important mentors, as he grew up as an athlete and coach.

Larry was instrumental in the development of the sport as an independent entity in Ontario. CCO was formed allowing it to directly access provincial funding moving it away from a bureaucratic model where funding was filtered through the alpine-dominated Provincial Ski Association and the Ontario Ski Council.

In the 90’s Larry turned more of his attention to the coaching of coaches and administration and as a course conductor was a key figure in nurturing the development of many young coaches. Many of those he worked with went on to be coaches and course conductors themselves, positively affecting the lives of many more coaches and athletes.

Larry was always actively interested in the equipment aspects of the sport, his “museum” collection of old Fischer racing skis and his work with SkiTrax on equipment reviews were among his more personal interests. He was the SkiTrax Buyer’s Guide editor for over a decade dating back to the first guide launched in October 1991. He oversaw the transition to a North American Guide in 1995 and travelled to Scandinavia in 1999 visiting a half a dozen companies for the magazine’s Factory Tour series.

Benjamin Sadavoy, SkiTrax editor and publisher described Larry as “…a true pioneer and a legendary soul that was quick to laugh. We couldn’t have done it without him. SkiTrax joins the ski community in sending condolences to his family and friends.”

As the founding member of the Highlands Trailblazers Ski Club, Larry has mentored athletes and coaches to great achievements and inspired many young athletes to pursue racing. You also always knew that Larry would be able to find a place for you to stay the night when you were passing through the area. “Larry’s Farmhouse” has always been one of the key overnight stops for the avid racer and developing coach.

The Highlands Nordic facility has developed into one of the finest, all privately funded, cross-country facilities in the country and has hosted multiple Ontario Cups, OFSAA Championships, and the Canadian National Championships. It was a family operation with any profits in a volatile, weather-related business, going back into the further development of the facility itself.

Most recently, the facility hosted the World Junior/U23 Trials where some of us were fortunate to have a last visit with Larry. Being able to see the quality and quantity of racers competing at the event and meeting old friends, gave Larry great pleasure over the weekend.

Larry was inducted into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in November 2014. He brought his passion for skiing to his latest role as Cross Country Ontario High Performance Chair where again his love of coaching was demonstrated.

The ski community has lost a great champion of racing and athlete development and builder of the sport. He was a kind and generous person, always willing to help out and get the job done. Our sincerest condolences to his wife Pat, daughters Kelly and Megan, and the Sinclair family as we all mourn their loss.

Funeral arrangements will be announced as they become available. A celebration of Larry’s life will be planned for the spring.