ANTARCTIC CAMPER LOGS TWO YEARS IN TENT

Stacie Murray likes fresh air. Really really likes fresh air. The chef for the U.S. program in Antarctica spends almost every night in a tent overlooking a beautiful stretch of icy water, and she just logged her 730th day — two years of camping in the harshest environment on earth. In an email to AJ, she wrote, “Last night was my two-year mark for sleeping in a tent in Antarctica. It has not been all in a row, but over the past few seasons here on the ice. I awoke this morning to beautiful calm weather, minke whales feeding on krill out my front door and hot coffee, brought to me to celebrate my achievement.” Certifiably badass, but Murray isn’t the only woman camping on the ice. Kerry Kells does it, too, and you can find out just what it’s like here. Boys, are the girls trying to tell you something?

JOEL PARKINSON GRABS 1ST WORLD TITLE AS SLATER STUMBLES
There will be no 12th world title for Kelly Slater this year: In a battle that came down to the wire in the last event of the season, Joel Parkinson survived to win the Billabong Pipe Masters, taking the Pipeline event and surfing’s world title, both for the first time. It was a moment of redemption for the Australian, who was on the title track in 2009 but suffered a season-ending ankle injury, opening the door to best friend Mick Fanning taking the crown. Slater, 40, was bumped in the semifinals by Josh Kerr, who was edged by Parko in the final. Too bad Slater didn’t make it to the last round — that would’ve been some serious drama. Parkinson, of course, is ultra-stoked. And who carried him up the beach after the win? Mick Fanning. Via GrindTV.

MAURICE HERZOG, 1ST TO CLIMB 8000-METER PEAK, DIES AT 93

With so many alpinists dying young in the mountains from falls, avalanches, and other hazards, it’s good to give thanks for those who survive into old age and then pass away gently. Maurice Herzog escaped all kinds of threats in his climbing career, including on the successful French expedition on Annapurna of 1950, when he lost fingers and toes, and passed away last week at age 93. Herzog’s book, Annapurna: The First Conquest of an 8,000-Meter Peak, is a gripping tale of pioneer high-altitude climbing. But like so many climbers’ autobiographical claims was controversial. He was accused of being a “glory hog” and his own daughter said that he was a man who “rewrote history, betrayed and neglected his entourage without ever having the sense of hurting anyone because society judged him to be so good.” Via NY Times.

LICENSE TO SLACK OFF? STUDY SAYS GENTLE EXERCISE JUST AS GOOD

The idea that a round as golf is just as effective at extending your life as banging out a road century seems just plain counterintuitive, but that’s what a new study from the U.K. is claiming. The British Medical Journal looked at Olympians from the late 1800s and early 1900s and found that “engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with playing golf or cricket (low cardiovascular intensity).” Indeed, there’s a small but growing body of research that suggests that prolonged intensive exercise might be counterproductive and actually shorten lives. But prolonged intensive stoke makes everything sweeter, and you don’t need a lab geek to tell you that. Via WSJ.