'Paul was fun': Remembering the sport's taken talent 20 years on.
All the Leeds-born talent ever wanted to do was practice the game.
A sporting bug, sparked at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his parents' coffee table in Leeds, would lead to a life on the tour that saw him claim six major trophies in six years.
This year marks two decades since the popular Hunter succumbed to cancer, mere days prior to his twenty-eighth birthday.
But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a phenomenal skill that rose above the sport he adored, his influence and memory on snooker and those who were close to him endure as powerful today.
'He just loved it': A Childhood Obsession
"It was impossible to foresee in a lifetime the boy would become a pro on the circuit," his mother says.
"Yet he just adored it."
Hunter's father recounts how his son "showed no interest in anything else" besides snooker as a young boy.
"His dedication was constant," he adds. "He would play every night after school."
After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a local club to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the young Hunter made the transition from miniature games with great skill.
His raw skill would be coached by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon.
Rapid Rise: From Teenager to Champion
With his parents' pleas to do his homework regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game.
It proved a masterstroke. Within half a decade, their still-teenage son had won his initial major win, the late-nineties Welsh championship.
Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter won a trio of times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
'Paul was fun': A Legacy of Character
But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded.
"He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody."
"When encountering him you'd take to him," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you feel at ease."
Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "witty, generous" and "never the first to depart from the party".
With his effortless appeal, boyish good looks and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the new 21st Century.
No wonder then, that he was christened 'A Sporting Icon'.
Courage in Crisis: Illness and Resilience
In that year, a year that should have signaled the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment.
Multiple anecdotes from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary willingness to keep promises to public appearances and promotional work, all while undergoing treatment.
Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year.
When he succumbed in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members.
"The pain is immense," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to lose a child."
A Foundation for the Future: Inspiring Youth
Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in high society but in community venues across the UK.
The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to young people all over the country.
The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas dropped significantly.
"The aim remained for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one organizer said.
The Foundation helped lay the groundwork for a huge coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children internationally.
"He would have embraced what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a leading figure in the sport stated.
Always Remembered: Two Decades On
Historic matches of their son's matches online help his parents stay "close to him".
"I can bring it up and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!"
"We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be mentioned at all."
Even though he never won the World Championship, the common opinion that Hunter would have gone on to lift snooker's top honor is a part of the sport's history.
The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup.
But for all his successes, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's spirit, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.
