It was the voice that has been the sound of summer for Novocastrians for more than 25 years.

‘‘People meet me and hear the voice and they go, ‘You’re that guy on the radio, I thought you were a 17-year-old guy with curly blond hair’,’’ radio surf and lifestyle reporter Terry ‘‘Teza’’ McKenna,  51, laughs. ‘‘I’m like, ‘Sorry to disappoint you’.

‘‘It’s the illusion of the radio and I’ve got a big gap between my teeth.

‘‘My wisdom teeth never came down to push them together, so I got caught in this like eternal grommet, Peter Pan part of life. 

‘‘I’m still waiting for my voice to break.’’

However, there’s  much more to McKenna, who spent 21 years with NEWFM before joining KOFM. So much more that in 2013 SurferToday.com named the Merewether father of two alongside the likes of Dane Reynolds, Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore in its 25 most influential figures in board riding.

The honour was for McKenna’s work in  surfing, bodyboarding and kitesurfing. A former Australian professional tour surfer,  he moved into event management and was the International Bodyboarding Association general manager from 2007 to 2012.

He took the same role with the world kitesurfing world tour, the  KSP,  last year for six months.

McKenna was shocked when named on the illustrious list but proud of his  contribution across several forms  of board riding.

I’m just a non-political guy,’’ he said.

‘‘Anyone riding wave on anything is fine by me, as long as you’re having fun.

‘‘It was incredible company to be in and I was so honoured.

‘‘The guys at SurferToday sent me a big poster to put on the wall and a certificate, so it was pretty cool.’’

Through the years, he also been a regular contest caller and will back up at Surfest next week after providing commentary at the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly.

Most weeks, in fact, you will find McKenna at the beach.

After growing up at Maroubra, McKenna moved to Fingal Bay with his parents at the age of 17.

Since then, McKenna says, he has been living the dream. 

After winning a state junior surfing title in 1980, he  moved from tour surfer to surf shop manager, surf reporter, coach, contest manager and caller. Whatever he’s  doing, McKenna has never been too far from the waves.

‘‘The best piece of advice my dad gave me was find out what your passion is and make it your job, then it’s like you never went to work,’’ he says.

‘‘I’ve just lived by that adage.

 ‘‘I’ve lived an incredible life and been very, very lucky to have the opportunities I’ve had.’’

His opportunity in radio, which came while working at the Pacific Dreams surf shop in Newcastle, was one of those lucky chances.

‘‘In 1989, NEWFM kicked off and they offered us some free advertising,’’ he says.

‘‘Some boofhead read the ad and it was fingers-in-the-ears stuff.

‘‘They asked us what we reckoned about the ad and we said, ‘It’s terrible’. They then said, ‘What about that guy behind the counter? He sounds like he’s got a nose full of saltwater’. 

‘‘I read the ad, then they offered me a job as the surf and lifestyle reporter.

‘‘Next minute, I’m driving around in a dual-cab four-wheel-drive with NEWFM written all over it, and the rest of it is history.

‘‘It was just a funny beginning to the whole thing.’’

For the past 10 years, McKenna has also   raised daughter Lahnee, 16, and  son Liam, 21, as a single father.

‘‘It was a juggling act, but I love a challenge,’’ he says.