Well, 2012 has been an eventful year, that’s for sure. But it’s hard to say it’s been a happy one. From the lousy snow season to high profile avalanche fatalities to Sarah Burke’s death and Lance Armstrong’s dizzying fall from grace, 2012 brought one bit of bad news after another.
But not all was bad. Kelly Slater opened himself to charges of being a cyborg after winning his 11th world surfing title at age 40, against kids literally half his age. The infamous Compressor Route on Patagonia’s Cerro Torre was finally climbed free, and Felix Baumgartner made the world’s highest freefall when he dropped from the edge of space. All were impressive and inspiring.
But which one loomed over all the others? Was it Sandy? The crappy winter? Cast your vote below, selecting up to three.
WIN SMITH SWAG JUST BY VOTING!
This week, one poll participant will receive a beanie, cap, and t-shirt from Smith Optics. Image not to scale — hat could very well be bigger. Actual product may vary. We’ll pick the winner via random number generator (and announce it here) — all you have to do to enter is vote and leave a comment so we have your email to contact you. Must have a U.S. or Canadian address. Contest ends Sunday, December 23, at midnight PST.
Congrats to Seth Flanigan of Boise, Idaho, winner of this week’s giveaway!
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{ 82 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice poll!
Hands down its LA fall from grace! we will long feel the repercussions of that for years to come
Armstrong
I want that bobble head hat!
Armstrong = biggest fraud of 2012
I didn’t realize how many things happened this year until now, but the space jump is defintely number one on my list!
Gotta be Felix.
BP story seems the most important as it addresses taking responsibility in your actions, and there for could help in the fight against climate change by holding people/corporations responsible for their actions. Everything else is really just an entertaining distraction it seems…
The attention vaccum that is Armstrong wins my reluctant vote.
Definitely ol’ Lance.
as much as i hate to say it, it’s got to be lance… again.
ugh.
why is BP on the list?
Felix’s jump was pretty awesome!
Ski Season
lance unfortunately seems to be the big story, instead of the great accomplishments
I have to say that it’s the Space Jump. Most of the stuff on the list is either a victory from bad news or just plain old bad news period. The three climbs are pretty sweet but Felix Baumgartner jumped out of a space capsule and it was streamed live. There were some very serious considerations to that type of endeavor like only having x amount of oxygen, no cams or nuts to hold you up and so many things that could go wrong like parachute problems or other equipment problems.
Lots of people voted for the Armstrong mess but getting busted for doping isn’t an adventure like jumping from a space capsule. And hey, couldn’t we handle some happy news for a change? Just saying…
BP pleads guilty
Who needs NASA when you have Red Bull-Baumgartner
Honnold 3.0! I’m not sure you people even get the weight of this one. Felix is a Close second though. Both of these fellas sport some huge…um… you know what i’m saying!
gotta be lance in terms of overall impacts across all realms of sport news, not just adventure sports.
Honnolds triple drown is hands down the most impressive physical accomplishment.
Maybe the ski season, but the sage-brush rebellion has got us great-basiners a little scared.
I think a guy jumped from space and survived…?
probably Lance but pics of the DMV line on Everest stay with me.
Interesting poll! Definitely hard to choose 3.
Lance
The Space Jump was definitely one of the top adventure moments of the year, but Lance Armstrong’s doping story? There’s no way that beats Alex Honnold’s Yosemite Triple Crown.
Felix’s jump was incredible
I went Lance, Felix, Climate Change in no particular order.
triple crown….nuff said
Def. Felix
Armstrong … probably the biggest reason behind the increase in road cycling popularity in the last 15 years, bringing many people together under LiveStrong to fight cancer … and all based on a series of lies. Huge (if you’re into cycling).
Lots of great stuff in there.
Hard to choose only one !!
KS11
Lance is biggest story followed closely by Baumgartner, but I love that the compressor route has been freed….literally.
This poll was a great reminder of how many radical things happened this year. I think the Mayans would be proud of us for ending on an adventurous note.
felix…
“Adventure” story? Is LA’s fall an adventure story?
Felix FTW.
LA next for the biggest news story, as much as I hate to beat that dead horse….
Alex gets the nod, too. That’s amazing stuff.
I wouldn’t call Lance Armstrong an “adventure” athlete. Ere go, he probably shouldn’t qualify for the list. Felix, without a doubt.
More Sarah Burke, less Lance Armdouche!
No surprise the one of the only actual adventuers in the adventure pole is leading
roids
Free falling from the edge of space always wins.
BP was a big deal, but I didn’t personally think it falls in the category of adventure.
Surprised that the worst ski season in a generation (#ClimateChange) is not in the lead. That story must have had a more direct impact on the majority of your readers than any other issue. And we’re off to another rough start here in Vermont!
Apparantley I vote amongst with the masses. Sarah, Felix, Lance.
Roadless rule, because wilderness is where you have (real) adventure.
Armstrong isn’t an adventure story…
Felix
Compressor Route
Honnold
people are going to be talking about Felix for a while!
Gotta focus on the positives. My vote goes to Felix.
You forgot Gary Connery skydive landing with no parachute. I voted for Honnold though hands down.
Felix.
BP, maybe it will set precedence
No France for Lance.
Felix
Some tough choices…
unfortnately I vote Lance.
Lance.
Hurricane Sandy, hands down. it helped alter the discourse of human beings’ relationships with nature and our affect on it, and we will ultimately witness changes in city planning because of it.
Armstrong has nothing to do with adventure.
I don’t understand the thinking behind Lance and his lies. How can you accept the accolades knowing that they are a lie? I guess there will always be people like him around.
Mr. Baumgartner
Most triumphant: Slater.
Most unfortunate loss of talent: Sarah
Giant leap for one man, smallest step for mankind: Felix
the felix jump was just great to see.
As far as adventure goes, definite Cerro Torre.
lance
I don’t want to, but I’m going with Lance.
I don’t know how anyone can call the Armstrong doping charges the biggest adventure story. Since when is professional road racing an adventure story anyway? I enjoy road riding but I don’t think of it as an adventure unless you’re touring and sleeping on the way.
You have to be doing something new, different or challenging and it’s certainly not professional cycling on a closed course with a sagwag following you with a load of bicycles and support.
Space jump, because it was the most unfathomable thing to happen, where as everything else seemed plausible before they happened
Funny how these are interconnected: worst ski season in a while / bad snow / avalanche overload / bad snowpack / climate change.
thanks for the chance to win some cool swag.
The tribute to Burke was very well done
Love swag!
Felix!
People have been busted with steroids, EPO, etc before. Nobody had ever jumped from space and broken the sound barrier before.
I really rate badgers. Probably my favourite mammal.
Armstrong, Long time reader, voter and Smith Rocker.
Plenty of people have been disgraced by steroids, but no one has jumped from space. Space! I vote Felix
11 dead. That’s the biggest story. No jump or feat matters when we are talking about human lives.
The Dude parachuted from SPACE!!!(ish)
I think it had to be Armstrong. Dude was the face of cycling to the general public for roughly 15 years.
Got a very lose interpretation of the word ‘adventure’ there don’t you?
I find it very difficult to coin even half of these stories ‘adventure’ related…!
really an amazing year
I really wanted to be wowed by the Felix jump, but now all I feel is…meh.