DC Rainmaker Open House - Summer 2024
Chris and Ray in the Gondola which he bought at an auction!
In early 2023, after sending some ASS MAGIC products to Ray and Bobbie Maker for testing, they kindly invited us to their December Open House event, check out the back story to that here. While I was enjoying the summer in sunny South Africa, my sister Jess and brother-in-law Matt attended on behalf of ASS MAGIC. Jess and Matt have lived in the Netherlands for almost three years now and also play an important role in helping with logistics and local administration for our European business.
The event looked fantastic, and I was a bit envious not to be there. So, when I learned that the Maker's were hosting their second Summer Open House right after Eurobike in 2024, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity—it was the perfect way to combine both events into one trip.
Chris, Zandi and Bobbie @ All4Running.
The day kicked off with a 10km shakeout run, taking in the parks, sights, and sounds of Amsterdam, starting at the All4Running store near Vondelpark. The store is worth a visit if you're ever in the area.
I also got the chance to test Ray’s cargo bike, which was something I’ve been wanting to try. It’s not something we see much of back home in Cape Town. Despite its longer wheelbase, the cargo bike rides surprisingly similarly to a regular bike.
Hitching a ride with Zandi, sitting in the front of his bak fiets/cargo bike. Zandi is a South African, living in Amsterdam now. He worked with BIKALOT/ASS MAGIC whilst still studying at a few of our exhibitions a few years back and is now at Ciovita.
Later that evening, the Open House officially began in what Ray calls the DCR Cave—a warehouse/office hybrid that could easily be described as a "man cave on steroids." The space is filled with sporting equipment, indoor training setups, tech gadgets, and a film studio. There’s even a cozy living area with a kitchen, perfect for family time.
While I’m not the biggest tech geek, I was genuinely impressed by the cool setups and the overall vibe of the place. I’ll let my photos do the rest of the talking!
Cool to meet Shane AKA GP Lama after he posted this pic at Eurobike from 2023
Brouwerij Beetje ensuring that we were hydrated!
Jess and Chris in the 'unboxing' section of the studio.
The studio
ASS MAGIC was proud to be involved as a sponsor, providing products for the visitor goodie bags, as well as a couple of prizes for the evening. It was great to see another South African brand, Ciovita, also part of the event.
A big thanks to Ray and Bobbie for including us in such a fantastic event! For more details, check out the event recap on the DC Rainmaker blog. There are also a few short video clips on my personal Instagram page here which probably give a better idea of the awesome setup.
