The Waterman, Part I

Through the years, I've gotten used to "The Look".  I always receive it when I speak of surfing. 

Well, no, not always.  I receive it in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio.  Yes, and upstate New York, too.  "The Look" is part smirk, part bemusement, part surprise, and part alarm when I mention that I like to surf.  The latter reaction is …