Patent ID: 8353535

Claim:
An ice skate comprising: a) a holder; b) the holder having an integral, downward facing rocker with a lower surface of a first defined curvature; c) the downward facing rocker having a fixed front end and rear end adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position; d) a flexible replaceable blade having a second curvature when not attached to the rocker; e) the flexible replaceable blade having an upper surface, a lower ice-contacting surface, a front end and a rear end and being adapted to be removably mounted to the rocker; f) front securing means for attaching the front end of the flexible replaceable blade to the fixed front end of the rocker; g) rear securing means for attaching the rear end of the flexible replaceable blade to the rotatable rear end of the rocker; h) a retention latch adapted to be pivotally mounted to the holder and configured with a pawl feature; wherein rotation of the rear end of the rocker between an open position and a closed position creates a tension along a length of the flexible replaceable blade without exerting a major component of tensioning force around a small radius in the region of the front and rear securing means and wherein the flexible replaceable blade conforms to the curvature of the lower surface of the rocker when mounted thereon, and the pawl feature of the retention latch retains the rotatable rear end of the rocker in the closed position.