A good scowl is worth a thousand words.
The average surf lineup is a rich ecosystem of nonverbal communication, a mastery of which is imperative if you want to find your place. What looks like a glare could easily mean, “You going on this one?” And then there are innocent over-the-shoulder stares one does to see if the last wave was a good one, and the over-the-shoulder staredowns where yeah, bud, he’s lookin’ at you.
These days the average surfer is nothing if he or she doesn’t have a quiver of scowls to unload on any kook that gets in their way. To help, we decided to decode some of the most common scowls you’ll see in every lineup from Lowers to Snapper:
1. Chin throw
The most common nonverbal form of “What the hell!?” If there’s a single one you incorporate into your lineup communication arsenal, let it be this one. A word of caution, to a big burly guy who’s prone to shouting the chin throw can alternatively be an invitation to fight or an acceptance of someone else’s invitation. If not interested in fighting, use this one sparingly.
2. Puffed lower lip
Red cheeks and a puffed lower lip indicate you’re mad as hell. Almost like you’re trying to hold in the steam that’s coming out of your ears from also coming out of your mouth.
3. Shake the head
The most passive-aggressive of all the forms of nonverbal communication on the list, shaking the head means you don’t approve of what some kook just did, and you want them to know it, but you’re not exactly ready to throw blows. It’s surfing’s equivalent to the parental dictum, “We’re not mad, we’re just disappointed.”
4. Over-the-shoulder glare
Another somewhat passive-aggressive move is to paddle back out after getting burned and just stare into the sole of your transgressor over your shoulder. It says, “I know you know what you did, and if you do it again you’re done.”
5. Sarcastic smile
The sarcastic smile earns an A+ for creativity. It says that you think so little of someone who had the audacity to do something to you that you’re able to laugh it off by not really laughing it off. It also screams crazy – and if the kooks think you’re crazy and unpredictable they might think twice before dropping in on you on the next set wave.
