First Kayaking Book Shortlisted for Prestigious Boardman Tasker Award
For the first time in its 40-year history, the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature has shortlisted a book centred on kayaking. There Will Be Headwinds: Kayaking the Northwest Passage by adventurer and author Mark Agnew has been recognised in the 2025 shortlist, marking a milestone for paddle sports in a prize traditionally dominated by mountaineering and climbing narratives.
Since its founding in 1984, the Boardman Tasker Award has celebrated the finest writing about mountains, climbing, and exploration. Past winners include some of the most iconic names in mountaineering literature, but Agnew’s book is the first to showcase the challenge and allure of an expedition by kayak.
There Will Be Headwinds recounts Agnew’s groundbreaking journey as part of The Arctic Cowboys, the team that became the first to kayak the entire Northwest Passage. In two tandem kayaks, Mark joined West Hansen (Expedition Leader), Eileen Visser and Jeff Wueste. Over 102 days, Agnew and his teammates battled freezing seas, relentless winds, polar bears, and the crushing weight of exhaustion to complete one of the most formidable challenges in modern adventure – it has been ranked in the Top 10 Greatest Kayaking Expeditions of the Century (so far), by Paddling Magazine.
Mark Agnew said, “I can’t believe it. I keep thinking, surely the book can’t be that good! The adventure was one of the best experiences of my life, and I owe so much to my teammates, West Hansen, Jeff Wueste and Eileen Visser. It was a wonderful experience, not just because of the wildlife, but because I shared it with them. So much of the book centres on our dynamic, which was inevitably fraught at times, but ultimately, we came together to achieve our goal. As I say in the final chapters, without them, I may never have started. Without them, I definitely wouldn’t have finished. Undoubtedly, it was enjoyable because I got to share the experiences with them.
“I am relatively new to kayaking, which may surprise some. I started during COVID-19. But I was immediately captivated by the sport and by the community. The Boardman Tasker has recognised so many wonderful mountaineering books, and I hope my book helps shine a light on the growing interest in kayaking and the wonderful experiences it can facilitate. Even if you aren’t passing icebergs and polar bears, kayaking is still the perfect way to challenge yourself and to commune with the coastal environment. I’ve had wonderful adventures in Scotland and Hong Kong, passing tuna, eagles and dolphins.”
The 2025 shortlist includes seven works ranging from mountaineering memoirs to Himalayan history — but Agnew’s story with The Arctic Cowboys stands out as the first to chart a course by paddle.
The winner of the 2025 Boardman Tasker Prize will be announced at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November.
