Skating became a popular recreational sport with the invention of steel blades and a method of fastening the blade securely to a boot. Soon the Dutch started skating with the Dutch Roll. They found that by pushing to the side they went faster on ice than a runner on ground pushing to the back. The pressure of a steel blade on the almost frictionless ice surface makes gliding on ice feel as if you are gliding on air, as free as a bird. Long-bladed speed skates are often called wings of steel.
All ice skates work on the same principle of forming a lubricated surface by pushing to the side.
Hence, by learning the fundamental speed skating straight-away stroke, you'll have more fun skating and improve your figure skating or hockey skills. The physical reason for pushing to the side is similar for in-line skating. So, learning to ice skate can improve inline speed. Yet, there are some reasons that this transfer of technique, from inline to ice, is difficult. Speed skating may be the original skating sport, with its purpose to go as fast as possible on ice.