CRUISE: MARKER LAUNCHES THE FIRST BINDINGS MADE FROM SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
The company, which specialises in bindings, is launching the new Cruise model for the 2023/24 season. The Cruise is the first binding on the market to be made from sustainable materials, making MARKER an industry pioneer when it comes to sustainability. The Cruise is the ideal option for multi-sport athletes with a wide range of interests. The pin binding stands out thanks to its high-quality, sustainably-produced features and also boasts incredibly easy handling. Coming in at just 475 g, the Cruise is also one of the lightest comfort-oriented bindings on the market.
Sustainability pioneers
In addition to numerous features which make the bindings particularly easy to handle, MARKER has truly prioritised sustainability with the new Cruise comfort bindings. Exclusively bio-based and recycled plastics are used in the manufacturing process. Unlike with aluminum, which is still the market standard for alpine touring bindings, using these composite materials can significantly reduce CO2 emissions: In total, this results in a CO2 saving of around 63* percent.
The recycled plastics, which are made from post-industrial waste, are certified by the SKZ plastics centre and offer equivalent performance to conventional materials used for manufacturing bindings. In addition, MARKER also uses bio-based plastics made from castor oil for some parts of the Cruise binding. Castor oil is a renewable alternative to the fossil fuel natural gas and grows on barren ground which is unsuitable for growing food and does not require additional watering. As such, the bio-based plastic does not compete with farming food products or animal feed in any way. For the Cruise, MARKER also uses biodegradable lubricants for the first time - an innovative step in the industry. Furthermore, the binding can be broken down into its individual components and thus separated by material, which makes it 100 percent recyclable at the end of its life cycle too.
Another milestone on the road to more sustainable production is the switch to environmentally-friendly electricity: Since January 2022, the MARKER production facility in the Czech Republic has been exclusively supplied with certified eco-electricity.
In the future, MARKER will continue to drive toward development using sustainable alternatives and expand this approach to additional products.
Easy on uphill sections
When it comes to features, the new Cruise stands out thanks to its extremely ergonomic climbing aid. It can be very easily operated with ski poles in particularly cold temperatures and set to three different angles (0°, 8° and 12°) for optimum uphill efficiency. The climbing aids are also colour-coded for each angle, which makes them easier to use.
Easy to adjust
Designed from scratch by MARKER, a true ski binding specialist, the horizontal and vertical release values on the heel can be set independently of each other. This is easily done with a screwdriver, setting and showing the proper release value (Z value) on two distinct visual indicator scales. This value specifies when the binding should release in the event of overload. This means that the Cruise also boasts an increased safety standard.
Easy to switch
Switching from walk mode (uphill mode) into ski mode (downhill mode) and vice versa is easy with the Cruise as you simply turn the heel section 180°. Here too, MARKER has truly prioritised ergonomic design and ease of use: switching from walk mode to ski mode doesn’t require a great deal of force and the brake is automatically unlocked when you turn the heel.
Easy step-in
In comparison to the MARKER Alpinist, the force required to step into the new Cruise has been reduced by up to 30 percent. The ISI Toe, launched last year, has been used for the toe piece. ISI stands for “Intuitive Step In”. A special rubber stop helps to position the boot more effectively and intuitively during the step-in process. In combination with the change in the geometry and the wider step-in platform, pressure is able to build more easily, so the tech inserts and pins can be perfectly aligned and significantly less force is required to click in prior to climbing or descending.
The new Cruise will be launched for the 2023/24 season in two versions: Cruise 10 (DIN Range 4 to 10) or Cruise 12 (DIN Range 6 to 12). Matching brakes are pre-installed, and available in both widths (90 and 105 millimetres).
