Larry Cain, SUP and OC Coach, Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist

Larry Cain
Head Coach, Co-Founder, Paddle Monster
Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist

Undoubtedly the best thing to ever happen to me was finding my way to the Burloak Canoe Club (then the Oakville Racing Canoe Club) at the age of 11 in 1974. My first visit to the club has resulted in more than 40 years of paddling enjoyment, self-discovery, health-promoting training, challenging racing, and satisfying coaching that I still enjoy today.

In 1976 I remember watching John Wood win a silver medal for Canada in the C1 500m at the Olympic Games in Montreal. I turned to my parents and told them “that is what I want to do”. With excellent direction from coaches and role models and lots of hard work I was able to make that dream come true in 1984 in Los Angeles when I won Olympic gold and silver medals in the C1 500m and C1 1000m.

In a seventeen-year National Team career I was able to compete in three Olympic Games, two Junior World and ten World Championships in sprint canoe as well as countless World Cup events. Upon retiring from the National Team I raced dragon boat as 5 World Championships winning 7 gold medals. I also raced outrigger, completing 5 Molokai to Oahu crossings in OC-6 (top finish 2nd) and one in OC-1. In September 2010 I started paddling SUP and it’s been the best form of paddling I’ve tried yet. It’s like C1 but standing up and can be done in virtually every kind of water condition. I have raced SUP a bunch, had some great success and done a lot of clinics and coaching.

I’ve had the privilege to coach at successful canoe clubs since 1996 and continue to enjoy sharing my passion for paddling with some great athletes at Burloak. We’ve been the best club in Canada at three of the last four National Championships. More recently I’ve worked with the National Team and helped coach some of Canada’s top athletes, including three Olympic medalists.

Working in such a successful environment and with some of paddle sport’s top coaches and athletes has been the best learning environment one can have and it’s allowed me to continue to expand my knowledge and find new ways to help people go fast in a paddled watercraft. I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned with you.

—Larry

Training with Coach Larry Cain

All Paddlers Welcome

Paddle athletes on the All-Access plan receive weekly training programs and discussions with Coach Larry Cain for Standup Paddleboarding (SUP). Advanced, Intermediate and Novice programs adapted for your schedule and goals. Larry has Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, and Warm Climate Programs.