For a National Roller Coaster Day promotion, SeaWorld San Diego and Belmont Park offered me rides on their respective roller coasters (SeaWorld also threw in a couple of beers, which I appreciated) on Tuesday, Aug. 16. I accepted. Why not? What could go wrong for a 55-year-old sedentary editor with a thickening waist, graying beard, and sore back?

Fortunately, it went rather smoothly, which is to say, I had an easy time getting to the parks and strapping into the rides. Another way to describe the day is “herky-jerky,” “teeth-rattling,” “heart-pounding” and ultimately, “wet.”

SeaWorld set me up with a special “coaster challenge” pass that had to be hole-punched at each coaster to prove I actually rode them and then used to claim my prize for completing the task (it was a T-shirt).

The first coaster on the list: Manta. It features a 54-foot drop and twists and turns that make riders feel like they’re soaring and diving like a manta ray (so they say). It surprised me with its energy – the start was exhilarating and during all the turns on the backside of the ride you roll past flamingos (they seem nonplussed about it), which is a lovely bit of color.

Next up, Electric Eel. You definitely have seen this gangly blue sculpture from a distance and it may not look like much of a coaster, but it will surprise you with its ruthlessness. It’s the fastest coaster I’ve ridden (more than 60 mph), and it also has the best view of the bay right-side up and upside down at 150 feet high during the “heartline” roll. It definitely gets your blood pumping and your butt clenching.

Next door is Emperor, which is touted as the tallest, fastest, and longest floorless dive coaster in California. Breathtaking. Shocking. Thrilling. My heart was pounding, my legs were wobbly, and my nostrils were flaring after riding it. Being suspended on a 45-degree angle before plunging down a 143-foot facedown vertical drop is brilliant and dastardly. It’s insane and wonderful.

After the rush of Emperor, I needed to cool off and the family-friendly Journey to Atlantis’ 60-foot plunge into a lake did the job. The best part of the ride happened before boarding when a person in my “boat” changed seats from the front to the back to avoid getting splashed and ended up getting soaked, while the front seat stayed relatively dry. Sometimes bad decisions leave you wet, and satisfied.

After earning my teal “Coaster Captain” T-shirt, Belmont Park’s Giant Dipper beckoned. The granddaddy of all San Diego roller coasters, the OG, the 97-year-old wooden relic that dominates Mission Beach’s boardwalk. It had been nine years since I last climbed aboard, and I needed another run. It’s a great old-school coaster – the view of the beach from the top is worth it alone – but the quick, sharp turns can rattle the old bones – and my old bones have been through a lot. I think I’ll leave her to the younger (and more flexible) generation from now on.

I had fun. The next morning – not as fun. But getting to play in San Diego during the week keeps life in perspective – it’s a roller coaster … (no, no, no, come on, you’re better than that).

Let’s just say, I was once a 12-year-old boy who loved roller coasters. Last Tuesday, I was one again.

Thomas Melville is the editor of Beach & Bay Press, La Jolla Village News, and Peninsula Beacon newspapers as well as sdnews.com.