[lolife99]

Kevin,... have you ever thought about painting the wood?
Maybe the seat color with some flat clear.
Personally I have never been a fan of the wood stuff.
But if you could make it blend into the seat color,... I think it would be cool.

Otherwise,... get the clear off with stripper or progressive grits of sanding.
Start with 80 grit then 120 grit,... etc.
I use Minwax stain products.
Pic a stain color you like. (looks like Golden Oak in the pics)
Let dry 8 hours or overnight.
Then topcoat with a Minwax finish.
Maybe an outdoor polyurethane to help with UV rays.

I would still think about painting it,... even if it was black. Ha.