So sometimes my hair looks about how I want it, and I don't really want to disrupt it by scrunching. In this example I was happy with the crunchy result in terms of shape but IRL it did look kinda stringy. So instead of flipping and squishing it to break the cast, or leaving it alone to naturally soften, praying hands smoothed down the hair and rub at the roots released just enough of the stiffness without inducing more disorder than I was ready for.
Just a general tip - even though the phrase is "scrunch out the crunch" you can twist out the crunch or smooth out the crunch to leave the ends more defined and a calmer look.
(ETA: also shows that wavy hair can 'curl' from the root - that was one of the bizarre claims I saw on r/curlyhair, that curls always start at roots and waves always have straight roots. This person was classifying someone I'd have called at 3b as wavy because her curls started partway down the hair. Discussion got oddly heated. Root curl is independent of curl shape for sure.)
I saw a youtuber that would "clap out the crunch" gently instead of scrunching. Thought that was interesting.
I've had the same thing said to me about my hair, when it gets long the weight really weighs it down and my hair goes from coils (bra strap length/bit below shoulders) to waves and spirals (currently at just above my butt). Roots are usually not curly at that point without something to help a little like root clips but the ends get very curly. I remember people telling me during grade school years that my hair isn't naturally curly because the roots are flat. That I must be curling it with an iron. Wtf. People just like to gatekeep.
Yeah tempest in a teapot. It's nicer here. I will look for the picture of my hair from when it was super long - it still was the same pattern root to tip! Delicate curly hair gets pulled straight at roots from water weight, tight spirals are curls no matter where they start and waves are waves even if root to tip, what else would they be called?
Found it - sorry this is fuzzy, it's old as heck picture but no matter the length mine just does it's thing. Doesn't jump much when short or stretch much when long. Not hiding any potential, lol.
https://imgur.com/TdCthI4
Your hair is gorgeous! Both shorter and longer.