[2] Hunter was born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Canada,[2] the son of a dairy farmer,[5] and started skiing at the age of eleven[6] having previously played ice hockey.

[5] Hunter had a reputation as an off-beat individual;[7] he practiced his racing tuck position atop a rack he built and placed in a pick-up truck as his father drove at over 100 km/h (62 mph),[6] and tested his balance by placing himself in the wheel of a moving tractor and jumping out.

[8] Hunter joined the Canadian Men's Alpine Ski Team in 1970,[2] and earned himself the nickname "Jungle Jim" with his aggressive style on the slopes.

[13] Hunter placed in the top ten at seventeen World Cup events but never won a gold medal.

[12][17] He is also a motivational speaker and provides developmental coaching for athletes and teams from Calgary where he resides with his wife and four grown children.