Carter might be a perfectionist at heart, but his attention to detail can’t classify him as anal-retentive. He still knows how to have a good time and is one of the organizers behind the second annual Salt Flat Social. Last year Carter and his friends, who build their own bikes under the names of Short Fuse and Bolts Action, organized the first Salt Flat Social to essentially celebrate Salt Lake. “All of my friends that I ride motorcycles with love Salt Lake,” says Carter. “But there are no really cool bike shows here. Nobody has an excuse to come here. We wanted to do something that would give people an excuse to visit Salt Lake.” The event falls on Friday, Aug. 12—the evening before the world-famous Speed Week starts at the Salt Flats. “It’s a lot easier to get someone from California to come to Salt Lake if they are 100 miles away versus 800 miles away,” he says.

Last year the Pangea Speed party drew about 70 bikes and 200 people—a larger turnout than was expected. The next morning, Carter says approximately 30 people met at Este Downtown and rode to the Salt Flats together to goof around. “It’s fairly low structure. It’s pretty much just hanging out. We don’t want people to feel like there is some sort of expectation,” says Carter. “One of the most annoying things about motorsports in general is everyone feels like they have to fit some kind of stereotype. None of us care about any of that. I just like motorcycles.” Ultimately, Carter sees Salt Flat Social as an unpretentious and inclusive way to show his love for his hometown. In addition to living in California, a few years ago, Carter spent the better part of the year traveling. “I quit my job, and I rode my motorcycle all over the country, just being homeless. I wanted to check this whole place out so I could see if I wanted to move,” says Carter. Eventually, he landed back in Utah. “I feel like Salt Lake kind of gets a bad rap because of the Church, but I’ve had a lot of friends come to visit from out of town and they are like, damn [Salt Lake] is cool,” says Carter.

Although the Salt Flat Social and Speed Week are unrelated, and Pangea Speed doesn’t actually participate in Speed Week, Carter appreciates the annual event. “We’re not really huge into the Bonneville thing. I like it, it’s cool. It falls right in line with everything I’m into. I like the Salt Flats, and I like racing, but none of us are die-hard Bonneville people,” says Carter. Just like last year, Carter says there aren’t any plans to officially participate in Speed Week, but they will be hosting a group ride from Este Downtown to the Salt Flats.

This year, the Salt Flat Social will be held at Short Fuse’s new shop on 988 S. and 500 W. on Friday, Aug. 12. The event is totally free, and Carter and crew plan to include a bike show in the festivities. Everyone is encouraged to attend, regardless of the type of motorcycle that they ride or if they even ride one at all.