National Geographic names 'Adventurers of the Year'

National Geographic announced earlier today that Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa had been named as the winners of the 2012 People’s Choice Adventurers of the Year Award. Voting for the award was done through National Geographic’s website, and nearly 72,000 ballots were cast this year.

Sunuwar and Sherpa are best known for their 2011 expedition to the top of Mt. Everest and their paraglide from the top to the sea. They did so with borrowed gear, on a small budget and without corporate sponsors.

For more information about this year’s winners, visit http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/peoples-choice-lakpa-tsheri-sherpa-sano-babu-sunuwar/.

As you might imagine, this award has gone to a number of outstanding adventurers since it was first handed out in 2006. What follows is a complete list of the all-time winners followed by the all-time nominees.

Adventurers of the Year:

2006 – Ed Viesturs: American mountaineer, best known for being the first American to summit all of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks and the sixth to do it without supplemental oxygen.

2007 – Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei: Canadian adventurers, best known for circumnavigating the globe under their own power, i.e., walking, cycling, skiing and rowing.

2008 – Andrew Skurka: Rhode Island native, best known for extremely long cross-country hikes.

2009 – Rob Gauntlett (now deceased) and James Hooper: British Adventurers, best known for trekking 26,000 miles from the North Pole to the South Pole at the ripe old age of 19.

2010 – Albert Yu-Min Lin: American Explorer, best known for his search for the tomb of Genghis Khan.

2010 – Marc Hoffmeister: American Veteran, best known for barely surviving an IED attack in Iraq in 2007 and then leading a team of six to the top of Denali in 2009.

2011 – Edurne Pasabn: Spanish Alpinist, best known for having climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks.

2012 - Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa: Nepalese mountaineers and paragliders best known for summiting Everest and then paragliding from the top.

Past nominees include the following individuals

2006:
- John Ackerman (Cave Explorer)
- Josune Bereziartu (Climber)
- Greg Hill (Ski Mountaineer)
- Ellen MacArthur (Speedy Circumnavigator)
- Matty McNair (Polar Explorer)
- Michael Reardon (Free Soloist)
- Jure Robic (Biking Across America)
- Andreya Wharry (Solo Kiteboarder)
- Daniel DeLaVergne, John Grace, Tommy Hilleke and Tobin MacDermott (Kayakers)

2007:
- Anousheh Ansari (Citizen Spacewalker)
- Bruce Beehler (Modern-Day Darwin)
- Olav Heyerdahl (Heir to Kon-Tiki)
- Dan Mazur (Everest Hero)
- Eh Kalu Shwe OO (People’s Provider)
- Stephanie Sinclair (Frontline Photographer)
- Jamilah Star (Soul Surfer)
- Greg Stone (Ocean Defender)
- Ben Stookesberry and Jesse Coombs (Rulers of Class V)

2008:
- Angelika Brandt (Sea Scout)
- Tim Cope (Horse Whisperer)
- Mike Fay (Wilderness Prospector)
- Colleen Hardy (Mortal Hero)
- Trip Jennings (Whitewater Visionary)
- Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry (Arctic Royalty)
- Steve Bogaerts, Robbie Schmittner, Sam Meacham (Cave Champs)
- Borge Ousland and Thomas Ulrich (Polar Pioneers)
- Andrea Palos and Gabor Rakonczai (Wave Runners)

2009:
- Gretchen Bleiler (Snowboarder)
- Francois Bon (Sky Flyer)
- Ashley Clements (Humanitarian)
- Pemba Gyalje Sherpa (Hero)
- Ben Skinner (Journalist)
- Kelly Slater (Surfer)
- Emma Stokes (Biologist)
- Maroy Correa Estenos and Sam Stime (Amazon Trekkers)
- Deia Schlosberg and Gregg Treinish (Andes Hikers)

2010:
- Katy Walter Anthony (Scientist)
- Khadija Bahram (Educator)
- Maya Gabeira (Surfer)
- John Grunsfeld (Astronaut)
- Dean S. Potter (Sky Flier)
- Louie Psihoyos (Filmmaker)
- Diane Van Deren (Ultra Runner)
- Stephen Bouey and Steven Shoppman (Road Trippers)

2011:
- Leven Brown (Oarsman)
- Alex Honnold (Climber)
- Jamie Mitchell (Paddler)
- Matt Moniz (Kid Climber)
- David de Rothschild (Voyager)
- Roz Savage (Rower)
- Ed Stafford (Explorer)
- Jessica Watson (Circumnavigator)
- Martin Wikelski (Tracker)

2012:
- Alastair Humphreys (British Adventurer)
- Cory Richards (American Climber and Photographer)
- Jennifer Pharr Davis (American Speed Hiker)
- Jon Turk and Erik Boomer (Kayakers)
- Gerlinde Kaltenbruner (Austrian Mountaineer)
- Danny MacAskill (Scottish Cyclist)
- Nick Waggoner (American Skier and Filmmaker)
- Travis Rice (American Snowboarder)
- Carissa Moore (American Surfer)

In the end, who would you have picked as this year's Adventurer of the Year? Why? How would you rank the all-time winners from top to bottom and why? Let us know in the comments section below.