By: Kym Whitney, Photos Courtesy of Mitch Junkins

With one of the largest Pickleball clubs in the United States, it is no wonder why people flock to Newport Beach to get their game on.

Although Pickleball was an emerging sport even before the pandemic, it has taken off since then with big-name athletes forming professional teams, such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Patrick Mahol=mes, and former women's tennis world No 1 Kim Clijsters.

When Harbor Cove resident Mitch Junkins became more involved in the sport as a member of the Tennis & Pickleball Club of Newport Beach, he befriended Wayne Dollard, owner of Pickleball Magazine, operator of the largest "Level Up" Pickle Camps, and medal-winning 5.3 Pickleball pro. During the pandemic, Wayne and his wife, Lisa, enjoyed a friendly game of pickleball against Mitch and his wife, Lori, in Newport Beach. After the match, they continued the comradery by visiting Wayne and Lisa’s house to ice their feet. They found themselves discussing how little innovation there has been in the Pickleball paddle space. As a serial inventor, Mitch went to work immediately to create a fully wrapped, carbon fiber paddle. After significant testing and tweaking with his engineering team, Mitch’s new paddle collection was created and named Veloz USA.

Veloz’s performance pickleball paddles are hand-crafted and require over 7 hours to complete. They are forged under heat and pressure, creating an edgeless design and a maximized "sweet spot" due to the continuous 360-degree carbon fiber wrap. This creates maximum control, touch, and drive. They also utilize a firm EVA foam grip, providing superior grip and ball absorption, reducing elbow/shoulder issues. As a performance paddle manufacturer, these innovations are designed to help players evolve their game.

The Veloz team philosophy is to be a consistent innovator in the sport and make products that create an outstanding experience. whether playing competitively or just for fun. They place both the pro and the recreational player at the center of all they do. Veloz means "Fast" in Spanish, which translates well as the company scales up its national marketing, advertising and distribution plans.

Mitch’s biggest inspiration when creating the line was to solve a problem. Something his parent company, thecdmcompany.com, does daily. With over 15 patents, he thrives in the product development space and enjoys figuring out how to solve problems through design, technology, and process. Oh, and did we mention he LOVES Pickleball!

“Veloz was literally started in my garage in Harbor Cove. I bought the raw carbon fiber materials, resin, and foam and made the first two pickleball paddles. My wife, Lori, is a big supporter of my numerous inventions and was responsible for getting me into this sport. She plays with a blue and white & White Ellipse 16MM, which I can't pry out of her hands.”

Veloz has officially launched and has been very well received by the professional Pickleball community. They frequently have DEMO days at the Tennis & Pickleball Club of Newport Beach to teach and encourage the next generation to embrace the sport. Veloz is also involved with numerous charities interested in supporting the sport of Pickleball.

For anyone interested in trying the paddle, DEMOS are available at the Tennis & Pickleball club pro shop (open to the public) at 11 Clubhouse Drive. Call (949) 759-0712 or visit www.VelozUSA.com to see the entire lineup.

VELOZ USA is the newest subsidiary of The CDM companies, inc, which also includes thecdmcompany.com & CDMProducts.com, which were started 32 years ago at 305 Larkspur in Corona Del Mar. It was named "CDM" because Mitch wrote the initial business plan on Big Corona Del Mar Beach! What started out with his wife and cat, Reni, grew into a multinational company that sells in 42 countries and has created over 1.5 Billion products! Lori and Mitch now have 25-year-old daughters, Katie & Kristina, and two more cats.

Mitch is quick to mention he has had a very blessed life. He grew up in the South Bay, attending Hawthorne High School (home of the Beach Boys), followed by attending USC while working for Mattel. He then went on to graduate from UCLA’s Executive Management program. While at Mattel, he was a professional demo Skateboarder where he learned a lot about the technologies of working with composites and fiberglass. Back in the day, he could high jump 4'8", complete 30+ 360s, and started going bald when he learned how to do a headstand! He also worked with Jake Burton Carpenter (founder of Burton snowboards). Mitch has always been an inventor and entrepreneur. He sold avocados door to door at eight, started a water bed company at nineteen, and was Vice President/co-founder of another local marketing company, Strottman Marketing, before launching CDM.

Every day Mitch wakes up and jumps out of bed, knowing there is still something amazing and magical to learn and explore every day. That diversity brings him personal joy and satisfaction. He cherishes his family and loves the amazing team of people he works with. He makes it clear no one really works “for him.” Every day, his team feeds off each other's energy.

When you meet Mitch, you immediately notice he is energetic, innovative and loves adventure. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, running, biking, bodysurfing, skateboarding, and of course ...PICKLEBALL. To stay fit, Mitch and Lori have a personal trainer, Erin Holmes, who they consider the best in the business and has been with them for over 20 years. More recently, Mitch has taken up Pilates (compliments to Darci and Skye at Pilates on Purpose on 17th street). He is also a collector of antique toys and woodwork, and can occasionally be found reading and maybe catching a few winks of sleep.

Charitable Involvement

Mitch was involved with the early launch of Pretend City, the Orange County Children's Museum as a governing board member in its early days. He is also involved with Orangewood Foundation as a board member for nearly 20 years.