15 PAIRS TO TAKE PLUNGE ON RIDE.

Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Sure, married life is full of ups and downs, but the wedding itself is usually a calm, formal affair.

Not so for 15 daring couples who plan to marry today while dropping 255 feet aboard Magic Mountain's new Goliath roller coaster.

The couples, and 1,000 more who will marry in the theme park's parking lot, were chosen by KLVE-FM (107.5) to take the plunge in a special Valentine's Day ceremony to promote the new coaster.

After a huge reception featuring a 20-foot wedding cake, they will start the honeymoons with a day of unlimited rides on Goliath, Batman The Ride and Colossus.

Actually, getting married at a theme park isn't that unusual. California Six Flags spokeswoman Erika Klinger said that the park gets at least one call a month from a couple wanting to get married on one of the rides. Either they met at the Valencia theme park, or they are fanatics bent on incorporating their passion for white-knucklers into the ceremony.

``I think some of the couples who called the radio station are probably roller coaster junkies, but a lot of them are probably just average couples who want to have a wedding that is unique - something they can tell their grandchildren about,'' Klinger said.

KLVE has done this sort of group wedding before, but never one of this size because organizers didn't have a large enough venue. Since Six Flags had joined with KLVE for the Toys For Tots campaign during the Christmas holidays, the park decided to work together again, this time making history with the biggest wedding ceremony ever to take place at a theme park.

``What better way to celebrate the opening of Goliath than with a Goliath wedding?'' Klinger said.