Mililani surfer Kekoa Bacalso is living large and loving it.

After winning the Billabong World Junior Championship last week at Australia, Bacalso has not had time to return home — or stop celebrating.

"It's been so crazy," said Bacalso, 20. "I haven't had this much attention in my life."

His father, Tony Bacalso, said: "He called us to tell us how busy he was and said, 'Wow, I feel like a celebrity now.' "

Often teased by his friends for being overweight, Bacalso got the last laugh when he overcame small waves to win the prestigious event in North Narrabeen, Australia.

The contest is considered the world championship for surfers under the age of 21, professional or amateur.

The only other surfer from Hawai'i to win it was Kaua'i's Andy Irons in 1998. Irons went on to win three professional world championships.

"There's going to be some big expectations of me now," Bacalso said. "But I think I rather have it that way than if I lost and nobody cared."

Waves were in the 2- to 4-foot range during the week of competition at North Narrabeen. Bacalso is building a reputation as a big-wave surfer, so his victory came as somewhat of a surprise.

"I was surfing some big waves at home right before I got there, so it was like day and night," he said. "I was just trying to be selective and get in as many hard turns as I could on all my waves."

His father said the years of training in the "junk waves" off Kalaeloa (Barbers Point) was good preparation.

"He was raised in those junk waves, so that's always going to be with him," Tony said. "He loves to surf the big waves now, but I don't think he'll ever forget how to surf in the small waves."

Bacalso defeated Tahiti's Michel Bourez in the final, but said his semifinal victory over Maui's Hank Gaskell was the toughest heat.

"Hank must have beaten me like four times in a row before that," Bacalso said. "When we saw we were up against each other, we knew it was going to be so much fun. We were talking so much smack."

It might have helped that Bacalso started to trim down prior to the contest. He is 5 feet 7 and weighs 170 pounds — about 10 pounds lighter than what he was at this time last year.

"I just started watching what I was eating," he said. "I've always been a bigger guy, but I'm trying to be more fit. I might look slow, but in the water, I feel quick."

The night of his victory, Bacalso said his friends made him pay for the celebratory drinks — legally. In Australia, the legal drinking age is 18.

Bacalso received $6,000 for the victory. Perhaps more important, as the world junior champion he will be seeded into any World Qualifying Series contest he chooses in 2006.

If he performs well enough on the WQS, he could get called up to the elite World Championship Tour alongside surfers such as Andy Irons and Kelly Slater.

Bacalso was only 16 and a junior at Mililani High when he made international surfing news by defeating Slater in a contest at Sunset Beach. But since turning professional in 2003, Bacalso has admittedly struggled.

"I've been in a slump for a real long time," he said. "That's why this feels so good to know that I can do it. This is the biggest thing I've ever done in my whole career by far."

His sponsors seem to agree.

Bacalso has not returned to Hawai'i yet because he is working on new promotional ads for Rip Curl and other sponsors. Meanwhile, his phone has not stopped ringing.

"I feel like the whole island is trying to call me," he said. "It's the best feeling."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.