It is a great DVD, as far as it goes, that the USFSA should be praised for producing it, and encouraged to produce more like it for other skill sets!
People say the DVD is meant for coaches, but the tape narrates as though she is talking to skating students. The USFSA pages addressed towards BS students also advises BS students that the DVD may be useful.
Many people say it teaches the minimum passing standard rather than the ideal. But unlike the ISI DVD, nobody is shaking, though I haven't gone through the whole DVD yet. BTW, someone told me that the animations were derived from videos of skaters. If so, I wonder why they didn't just use the original videos, but I'm sure they had good reasons.
Here is a more complete DVD outline
*Getting Started
proper attire
your skates
fitting
lacing
how to fall
*Forward Skating
tips
forward swizzles
the dip
curves, alternate half swizzles, forward slalm
forward one foot glide
forward stroking
forward half-swizzle pumps
forward outside and inside edges
forward crossovers
*Backwards Skating
tips
backward swizzles
backward half swizzle pumps
backward outside and inside edges
backward crossovers
*Turns
forward outside 3-turns
forward inside 3 turns
forward inside open mohawks
backward outside 3 turns
backward inside 3 turns
*Stops
snowplow stop
hockey stop
t-stop
*Jumps
bunny hop
mazurka
waltz jump
half flip
toe loop
half lutz
salchow
loop
flip
lutz
beginning axel
*Spins
two foot spin
one foot spin
beginning scratch spin
beginning back spin
sit spin
camel spin
Not all skills in the Snowplow Sam and Basic 1-8 curricula are present.
Here are the Snowplow Sam and Basic 1-8 syllabii from
http://www.usfsa.org/Content/SnowplowSamProgram.pdfSnowplow Sam 1
1. Sit and stand up with skates on – off Ice
2. Sit and stand up – on Ice
3. March in place
4. March forward – 8–10 steps
5. March, then glide on two feet
6. Dip in place
Snowplow Sam 2
1. March followed by a long glide
2. Dip while moving
3. Backward wiggles – six in a row
4. Forward two-foot swizzles – 2-3 in a row
5. Rocking horse – one forward, one backward swizzle action
6. Two-foot hop in place
Snowplow Sam 3
1. Forward skating – 8–10 steps
2. Forward one-foot glide – R and L
3. Forward swizzles – 4–6 in a row
4. Backward swizzles – 4–6 in a row
5. Forward snowplow stop with skid
6. Curves
Basic 1
1. Sit on ice and stand up
2. March forward across the ice
3. Forward two-foot glide
4. Dip
5. Forward swizzles – 6–8 in a row
6. Backward wiggles – 6–8 in a row
7. Snowplow stop
8. Rocking horse – 2–3
9. Two-foot hop in place (optional)
Basic 2
1. Forward one foot glides – R and L
2. Backward two-foot glide
3. Backward swizzles – 6–8 in a row
4. Two-foot turn from forward to backward in place
5. Moving snowplow stop
6. Forward alternating half swizzle pumps, in a straight line (slalom-like pattern)
Basic 3
1. Forward stroking, showing correct use of blade
2. Forward half swizzle pumps on a circle – 6–8 consecutive clockwise and counterclockwise
3. Moving forward to backward two-foot turn – clockwise and counterclockwise
4. Backward one-foot glides – R and L
5. Forward slalom
6. Two-foot spin – up to two revolutions
Basic 4
1. Forward outside edge on a circle – R and L
2. Forward inside edge on a circle – R and L
3. Forward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise
4. Forward outside three-turn, R and L from a stand-still position
5. Backward half swizzle pumps on a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise
6. Backward stroking
7. Backward snowplow stop – R and L
Basic 5
1. Backward outside edge on a circle – R and L
2. Backward inside edge on a circle – R and L
3. Backward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise
4. Beginning one-foot spin – up to three revs, optional entry and free-foot position
5. Hockey stop
6. Side toe hop – both directions
Basic 6
1. Forward inside three-turn – R and L from a standstill position
2. Moving backward to forward two-foot turn on a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise
3. T-stop – R or L
4. Bunny hop
5. Forward arabesque/spiral on a straight line – R or L
6. Forward lunge – R or L
Basic 7
1. Forward inside open Mohawk from a standstill position – R to L and L to R
2. Backward outside edge to forward outside edge transition on a circle – R and L
3. Ballet jump – R and L
4. Backward crossovers to a backward outside edge glides (landing position), clockwise and counterclockwise
5. Forward inside pivots – R or L
Basic 8
1. Moving forward outside three-turn on a circle – R and L
2. Moving forward inside three-turn on a circle – R and L
3. Combination move: Forward crossovers (2) into forward inside Mohawk, cross behind, step into backward crossover (1) and step to forward inside edge
4. One-foot upright spin, optional entry and free-foot position
5. Waltz jump
6. Mazurka – R and L
If you are a BS instructor, the PSA Snowplow Sam and Basic 1-8 on-line classes (free to BS instructors, even those who don't belong to PSA), on the
PSA website useful too - but there are no videos there.