Nordica’s La Niña features a 25-percent lighter woodcore than its male counterpart, the Patron, by utilizing a middle layer of ultralight polyurethane and beech stringers sandwiched by two strips of poplar. La Niña is soft but proved stiff enough for most female testers. Even with 113 mm underfoot, La Niña proved nimble in tight spots. One tester called them “poppy and playful.” Traditional camber underfoot and ample sidecut that runs through the point of edge contact in the tip helps the La Niña hold an edge (and eliminates tip flop). And substantial rocker in the tip and tail provide that ample float.