Grief-stricken family members, devastated work colleagues, longtime dear friends and people from the Ohakune and Raetihi communities gathered near Ohakune for the funeral of Tom Campbell, 27, yesterday.
The much loved and acclaimed snow park creator, described as the best snow terrain jump builder in the world, died in in a crash last week.
Tom Campbell died when his car went over the side of Mai Mai Creek Bridge, in South Westland.
Senior Sergeant Paul Watson, of Greymouth, said Mr Campbell's vehicle had crashed off the bridge and landed upside down in the relatively shallow stream bed.
"It sounds like he's left the bridge and gone into the riverbed," Mr Watson said.
There was nothing the emergency services attending the crash could do.
Ruapehu College principal's secretary Anne McIver said the former Ruapehu College student was much loved and admired at the school and in the community.
"He was so popular everyone just loved him. Really he was a very, very special young man."
Mr Campbell was the son of longtime Turoa snow groomer and supervisor Fred Campbell and real estate agent Kathy Campbell. He had worked in the South Island for the past six years.
He had been heading to the start of the ski season at the Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka when he was killed.
Mr Campbell had recently been on holiday, first to Finland and then staying a month in Ohakune with his parents.
Local community paper The Ruapehu Bulletin said there was a huge depth of feeling throughout the district for Mr Campbell and his family.
Mt Ruapehu was closed for the day as a mark of respect and the company provided buses to the service.
Mum Kath Campbell said Tom was" the most amazing son" who was good at his job and loved it.
"In 27 years he lived a life that some people would dream to live," she said.
"We love him and and we are so proud of him."
Olympic Freestyle skier Jossi Wells paid tribute to Tom on Facebook, saying his presence would be "dearly missed by us all."
"The single most genuine person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," he said in the post.