Plenty of Loops and Thrills on Fast-Paced ‘Top 10 Coasters’

How are you dealing with life’s ups and downs? There are plenty of them in “Top 10 Coasters,” a brisk, sometimes breathless Discovery Channel show Sunday that will leave you wanting more--or stumbling toward the medicine chest for a dose of Pepto Bismol.

With Memorial Day weekend and summer celebrations finally upon us, this fun-minded hour counts down the world’s most exhilarating roller coasters, as ranked by the National Amusement Park Historical Assn.

Got a need for speed? Then strap yourself in for a series of dizzying twists, turns and spins on wooden and steel structures designed to whack your senses silly.

Going by such monstrous monikers as Nemesis, the Beast and Megafobia, these world-class rides provoke ear-piercing screams across the Midwest, Upstate New York and, surprisingly enough, on a farm in Wales. (Watch out for the grazing sheep!)

Angelenos angling for out-of-town excitement will have to ante up air fare for trips to Pittsburgh, where they can board the wooden Thunderbolt (ranked No. 1 by virtue of its unique design and historical importance), or the Brooklyn boardwalk, home to the renowned Cyclone, which has thrilled multitudes since its 1927 construction.

Each a marvel of engineering, these white-knuckle attractions offer a calculated combination of stomach-churning vertical loops, curling corkscrews and daunting drops--just the sort to make some unlucky passenger regret that ill-advised pepperoni pizza for lunch.

“Coasters,” which includes the type, designer, height, track length and top speed of its selections, tends to get repetitious (we haven’t seen this many loops since the Winter Olympics), but it’s still an amusing diversion for the less venturous whose hearts can barely tolerate Southern California’s preeminent thrill ride--the daily commute.

* “Top 10 Coasters” can be seen Sunday at 8 p.m. on Discovery Channel. The network has rated it TV-G (suitable for all ages).