'Paul was fun': Remembering the game's departed star a score of years on.
All the young snooker player always wished to do was compete on the baize.
A competitive passion, caught at the tender age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his family's living room table in his Leeds home, would lead to a professional career that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years.
Now marks two decades since the beloved Hunter succumbed to cancer, just days before to his 28th birthday.
But in spite of the passing of a phenomenal skill that transcended the game he loved, his legacy and impact on the game and those who knew him endure as strong as ever.
'He just loved it': Early Beginnings
"It was impossible to foresee in a lifetime the boy would become a pro on the circuit," his mother says.
"Yet he just was passionate about it."
His dad remembers how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" besides snooker as a young boy.
"He never stopped," he adds. "He competed every night after school."
After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a community venue to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the young Hunter made the jump from miniature games with aplomb.
His mercurial talent would be nurtured by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon.
Quick Success: From Teenager to Champion
With his family's urging to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as practice took priority, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully concentrate on forging a career in the game.
It proved a masterstroke. Within half a decade, their still-teenage son had won his first ranking title, the 1998 Welsh Open.
Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the lineup featuring only the top competitors, Hunter triumphed a trio of times, in the early 2000s.
'A Gracious Competitor': The Man Behind the Cue
But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never left him.
"His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody."
"If you met him you'd enjoy his company," Kristina states. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you feel at ease."
Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "humorous, caring" and "typically the final guest at the party".
With his natural likability, youthful appearance 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 dubbed 'A Sporting Icon'.
Facing Adversity: Illness and Resilience
In 2005, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo chemotherapy.
Multiple anecdotes from across the professional tour speak of the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to exhibitions, events and press interviews, all while enduring treatment.
Despite harsh reactions, Hunter kept playing through the illness and received a tumultuous reception at The Crucible Theatre when he competed in the World Championships that year.
When he passed away in October 2006, snooker's tight community lost one of its most popular brothers.
"It is tragic," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to go through that pain."
A Foundation for the Future: Giving Back
Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in royal circles but in community venues across the UK.
The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to children all over the country.
The program was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas dropped significantly.
"The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said.
The Foundation helped pave the way for a major 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.
Never Forgotten: Two Decades On
Classic footage of their son's matches online help his parents stay "connected to him".
"I can bring it up and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's wonderful!"
"We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be spoken of."
Even though he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have secured snooker's top honor is ingrained in the sport's legend.
The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor.
But for all his accomplishments, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
