We’ll Never Get Over These 6 Photos of Supermodel Kate Upton in Antarctica

The SI Swimsuit legend brought the heat to her 2013 cover feature.

Ananya Panchal | Aug 14, 2024

Kate Upton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Antarctica. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Seven-time brand star Kate Upton is practically synonymous with SI Swimsuit. The franchise legend, who landed on the front of this year’s issue, is used to being a cover girl, though it feels more and more special each time. The 32-year-old made her debut with the publication in the Philippines in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year. Upton returned to the fold and traveled to Australia for her sophomore feature, landing back-to-back covers that year and in Antarctica the following year.

In 2014, the Michigan native double-dipped, posing for a super cool zero-gravity feature in Cape Canaveral, Fla., as well as a traditional beach photo shoot in the Cook Islands. In 2017, she landed on three individual beautiful, captivating covers following her breathtaking feature with Yu Tsai in Fiji.

Upton reunited with the visual artist this year, traveling to Mexico to pose for the cover of the 2024 magazine. The mom of one also starred in an extra special group feature, alongside 26 other franchise legends in honor of the brand’s 60th anniversary issue.

“It’s such an honor to even be referred to as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit legend. It was a huge goal at the beginning of my career, and to be sitting here now, surrounded by all these legends, is really surreal. I was lucky enough to do a similar shoot for the 50th, and now to return for the 60th is such an honor,” she said while on location in Hollywood, Fla.

Below are six fun, flirty and icy photos from Upton’s 2013 photo shoot with Derek Kettela in Antarctica.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Published Aug 14, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.