I totally agree that life would be boring if we choose the "safe" option. But he was risking a lot more then his truck. He was risking the life of the people that would have helped him, had things gone wrong. Big wave surfers have very experienced people there to help them. I doubt the guy holding onto the bitter end of the strap had truly thought about risking his life had things gone wrong.
There was absolutely no risk to his life, like I say I was able to walk across and he never even entered the fast flowing part in the center. ONLY the center was fast flowing. Had things gone horribly wrong, I would have had no trouble extricating my self and WALKING out of the current. No one else would have had to risk anything to get me out.
Even in regards to my truck, other then the fast moving part, which was rather narrow, had I stalled or gotten stuck the water MIGHT have got to my air bag computer, which is the lowest piece of electronics in the truck. Had I failed in the current, things easily could have gone very wrong, but I was quite certain there were no large obstacles that would have rolled me, and other then rolling, recovery would not have been an issue.
I can assure you all it was more controlled and safer then it looks in the videos. Immediately after the crossing point the creek widens, gets much more shallow and does not flow nearly as fast.
As far as angling downstream as you cross, I'm really not sure. I have always entered driving up stream for the sake of fighting the current so I don't get swept downstream as much, and also so that the current pushes me towards to opposite bank like it does in the initial video.
Clark