Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2013: Twitter Reacts to Cover Model Kate Upton

Model Kate Upton has encored as Sports Illustrated's swimsuit cover model.

Per SI Swimsuit's official Twitter feed:

POLAR BARE: @kateupton in Antarctica is your 2013 SI Swimsuit Cover Model! bit.ly/UMdgck #WhereISwim twitter.com/SI_Swimsuit/st…

— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 9, 2013

And according to Natalie Finn of EOnline:

The 20-year-old joins an incredibly elite list of models who've commanded the cover multiple years in a row: Christie Brinkley went back-to-back-to-back in 1979, 1980 and 1981; Elle MacPherson did the same between 1986 and 1988; Paulina Porizkova posed in 1984 and 1985 and Tyra Banks starred in 1996 and 1997 (though she had to share with Valeria Mazza in 1996).

As one can imagine, Twitter went crazy over Upton. Given that the photo shoot took place in Antarctica, she earns some props for toughness.

Then again, it's Antarctica and just being there had to be unbelievably cold.

Alas, reactions to Upton repeating on the cover:

The New York Post

Kate Upton will make 2nd appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. And, uh, wow: nyp.st/TWRgKf

— New York Post (@nypost) February 9, 2013

Brooklyn Decker

Congratulations Ms.@kateupton !! Making history!

— Brooklyn Decker (@BrooklynDecker) February 9, 2013

Darren Rovell

Congrats to @kateupton. First SI Swimsuit model to adorn back to back covers since Tyra Banks (’96 & ‘97)

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) February 9, 2013

This is funny

My wife just sent me the Kate Upton SI cover, asking me if I'd seen it. She's awesome.

— nathaneide (@nathaneide) February 13, 2013

For the win!

Kate Upton w/ the repeat

— VERDÈ (@rgreen13) February 9, 2013

This has got to be true, right?

Kate Upton's repeat as SI swimsuit cover is a reminder that Midwesterners are the most beautiful people in the world.

— Alex Parker (@AlexParkerDC) February 9, 2013

Irony always finds a way to appear

Ironic that #TellAFeministThankYou trending on the day Kate Upton says she suffered frostbite and hearing loss in bikini in Antarctica.

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) February 13, 2013

It's true, though

Antarctica not bikini friendly. Really Kate Upton, really?

— Joey Phillips (@livin_frat) February 13, 2013

But then again, that should be expected

Kate Upton on her recent Sports Illustrated shoot- "Antarctica is not bikini friendly".... really??????

— Kiana Baharloo(@Kiana_Baharloo) February 12, 2013

Who wants to go to Antarctica?

Can't believe Kate Upton gets to go to Antarctica just because she's a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Or that she complains about it.

— Abigail Weir (@ab_weir) February 13, 2013

And... Kate Upton

We can finally talk about Antarctica!!!!! @peterbutlerhair @mj_day @darciebaum.. Took us 2 months to thaw out

— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) February 9, 2013

Upton also did an interview with the Today Show on NBC.

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(Video credit: MSNBC.MSN.com)

In the interview, per Scott Strump of Today, Upton stated:

"When I came back I was losing hearing and eyesight because my body was shutting down, it was working so hard to keep warm."

“I could really only do it for a minute and then everyone would come running and throw blankets on top of me and they would build me like a little blanket cave,’’ she said. “I really went all out on this. We went there thinking we might not even get a shot, and came back with the cover.”

Considering it's Antarctica, even trying to do a photo shoot there had to be difficult, let alone for a swimsuit magazine cover. That's simply impressive.