It may have much in common with surfing and snowboarding, but sandboarding is the red-haired stepchild straggling along behind them.

It was actually around long before the Hawaiians started riding logs: 3,000 years ago ancient Egyptians and Chinese took to the dunes on planks of wood or fired clay, and there are photos of “modern” sandboarders dating from the 1940s.

Sandboards look like snowboards, are the same size and have similar bindings. Their makers rejoice in emotive names such as Venomous, Hard Candy, Sidewinder and Ror. Sand can chew their underside faster than you can say “dune dude”, so the favoured surface is that wonderful invention Formica, although stainless steel is popular and riders wax their boards to further reduce friction.

Sandboarding has its own competition circuit and a world championship — attended last summer by 200 competitors in Bavaria, where there is an enormous dune formed by old mining operations.

The pro’s advice for beginners includes “closing your eyes doesn’t necessarily help”, and “if you fall, don’t forget to close your mouth”. Julie Pilcic, former world champion sandboarder from California, says: “I get an adrenaline rush when I’m flying downhill so fast, the wind rushing through my hair. The worst part is that you bring the dune home in your clothes, hair, and ears.”

If you want to surf or snowboard all year round, pick a 1,000ft dune steep enough to get some speed up. You can sandboard the Great Erg in Algeria and the Carcross Desert up in the northern Yukon in Canada, the Taklamakan (Desert of Death) in China, or numerous places in Namibia, South Africa and Dubai. Then there’s the Huacachina Oasis in Peru, and Death Valley in the US. Closer to home is Holywell Bay outside Newquay in Cornwall, where three steep dunes offer long, fast rides, drop-offs, fly-offs, a lethal wall of quarter-pipe and enough room to build ramps.

What does it feel like? Imagine no waves or snow in sight, only sand stretching before you. It has its own distinctive smell and sound: on a desert dune silica moved by wind over the surface creates a sonorous “booming sand”, while lighter particles on a beach create “singing sand”.

Turn your head for a moment to listen, then you’re away, carving a giant python mark on the slope as you gather speed. The board skews too much to the left or right and its tip ploughs into the dune. You dive headfirst into sand, imitating an ostrich but without the grace. You spit the grit from your mouth, wipe it from your eyes, pick up the board and start the long hike back to the top.

And that can be the bummer. Shifting sands make it impossible to install lift equipment so you have to either hike or beg a “chair lift” — a ride in a four-wheel-drive or dune buggy. The upside is that it’s a chance to meet other boarders.

Party on, dude.

How to do it

What Sandsurfing dunes on a board, same principles as snowboarding

Why Sand never melts

When All year round, depending on location. Wet sand isn’t great to board on

Where Anywhere with sand: Peru, Australia, China. Look for dunes with steep inclines and long run-offs. If you’re in Florence, Oregon, visit Sand Master Park, the world’s first sandboarding park (www.sandmasterpark.com), where board rental costs $16 (about £8) per day, instruction $45 (£23) per hour

Gear You can beg, borrow or customise an old snowboard but apply sand wax or paraffin to the base. A Venomous custom sandboard starts from $150 (£77). Surfwax (www.surf-wax.co.uk) explains how to customise your board

More info Visit Dr Dune’s FAQs at www.sandboard.com and great pictures of last year’s world championship can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/y235fq