Ice Skating (Hockey/Figure) vs Roller Skating?

If you're in the ice skating class, take it. It's fun. Ice skating and roller skating share some things, and also differ. A lot of what you learn in ice skating, you can use for roller. But if you have a choice of ice skates, pick hockey skates. They *are* harder to ice skate in than figure skates are, but the thing is, IMO, they mimic more of the feel of roller skates. So if you learn to ice skate on hockey skates, IMO you may have a quicker transition to roller skating than if you learn to ice skate on figure skates. So take your ice skating class. In the meantime, look for a roller rink somewhere near you, and see what they have to offer re: classes and lessons.

It will help you learn but they are different and you may want to unlearn the basic stride (very much like the lowest beginners stride on inline) to improve your inline stride. The ice stride is more pushing with the toe than a good inline stride. Ice skates have much less bite into the ice when pushing than inline wheels on pavement. All ice skates are rockered (curved with the center lower than the ends). Unless you are doing inline hockey or freestyle skating, rocker is very rare on inlines (impossible on quad skates). Rockering enhances the ability to turn sharply with a reduction in stability at higher speeds. Speed skates are the least rockered and most like inlines in length and feel. Hockey skates are the most rockered (goalie skates less so). Figure skates are in between with most of the rocker towards the front. Obviously none of the ice skates have a heel brake. The closest stopping method (to inline methods) that you can practice on ice is a T stop where you drag one skate sideways behind you.